In Nigeria's disappearing forests, loggers outnumber trees

In Nigeria's disappearing forests, loggers outnumber trees

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Deep in a forest in Nigeria's Ebute Ipare village, Egbontoluwa Marigi sized up a tall mahogany tree, methodically cut it down with his axe and machete, and as it fell with a crackling sound, he surveyed the forest for the next tree.

Around him, the stumps dotting the swampy forest were a reminder of trees that once stood tall but are fast disappearing to illegal logging in Ondo state, southwest Nigeria.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Hunters carry monkeys they have just killed in the forest.

Cutting down trees for logging, opening up farmland or to feed energy demand for a growing population is putting pressure on Nigeria's natural forests.

President Muhammadu Buhari told a COP15 meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on May 9 that Nigeria had established a national forestry trust fund to help regenerate the country's forests. That may not be enough as the country loses forests at a faster pace.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Komiyo talks with some locals as he pulls his logs through the river in Ipare.

"Protecting the forest means protecting ourselves. When we destroy the forest, we destroy humanity," said Femi Obadun, director of forest management for Ondo state's agriculture ministry.

It's something Marigi knows all too well, but his priority is to eke out a living.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Egbontoluwa Marigi, 61, poses for a portrait during a smoke break, in the forest in Ipare.

"We could cut down over 15 trees in one location, but now if we manage to see two trees, it will look like a blessing to us," the 61-year-old father of two said.

From 2001 to 2021, Nigeria lost 1.14 million hectares of tree cover, equivalent to a 11% decrease in tree cover since 2000 and equal to 587 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to Global Forest Watch, a platform that provides data and monitors forests.

. Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Loggers sit in a hut built on top of floating rafts of logs which are being transported from Ondo State to Lagos State.

"We don't sleep at night during the journey. We monitor the logs and make sure that (they don't) detach from the tugboat," Marigi told Reuters.

The boat stops at several locations to pick up more loggers and their rafts. A single boat can carry up to a thousand rafts, each containing as much as 30 logs.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Komiyo Ikuejamoye fells a tree with a chainsaw.

After felling the trees, Marigi put markers on them, a message to other loggers that he is the owner. The logs would be transported via creeks and rivers all the way to Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos.

"During the time of our forefathers, we had big trees but sadly what we have now are just small trees and we don't even allow them to mature before we cut them," Marigi said.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
Elewuro, the captain of the tug boat, controls the collection of rafts attached to his boat.

Months after cutting the trees, Marigi returns to the forest to pull the logs together and fasten them into rafts. He has a collection of more than 40 logs.

With other loggers, they have put together money to hire a tugboat to pull the rafts through creeks and rivers from Ondo state to Lagos.

. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri
A tug boat pulls a line of log rafts.

Makeshift shelters on the rafts are made from wood and help shield Marigi and his friends from the weather. Food is shared while they belt out local folk songs to lift spirits.

Marigi's journey ends at a lagoon in Lagos, where rafts from Ondo state and other parts of the country converge and the logs are processed at sawmills and sold to different users.

(Photo Editing Gabrielle Fonseca Johnson; Text Editing MacDonald Dzirutwe and Lisa Shumaker; Layout Kezia Levitas)

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Slideshow

A worker operates an industrial saw at the Ebute Metta sawmill.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

A worker operates an industrial saw at the Ebute Metta sawmill.

Sawmill workers roll a log out of the Lagos lagoon at the Ebute Metta sawmill.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Sawmill workers roll a log out of the Lagos lagoon at the Ebute Metta sawmill.

Marigi (R) fishes with his friend in Ipare.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi (R) fishes with his friend in Ipare.

Marigi poses for a photograph holding his axe while felling trees in the forest in Ipare.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi poses for a photograph holding his axe while felling trees in the forest in Ipare.

Kayode Ikuejamoye, takes a break from felling trees in the forest.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Kayode Ikuejamoye, takes a break from felling trees in the forest.

Komiyo drinks water from a tree branch in the forest.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Komiyo drinks water from a tree branch in the forest.

Komiyo takes a rest from moving logs from the forest floor to the river.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Komiyo takes a rest from moving logs from the forest floor to the river.

Komiyo (L) cuts a felled tree as Bayo (R) watches.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Komiyo (L) cuts a felled tree as Bayo (R) watches.

Marigi pulls a log through the flooded forest floor.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi pulls a log through the flooded forest floor.

An aerial view of Ipare town on market day.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

An aerial view of Ipare town on market day.

Komiyo arranges logs on the river in Ipare.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Komiyo arranges logs on the river in Ipare.

Sunday poses for a photograph, as the captain of the tug boat, Elewuro, is seen through the window.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Sunday poses for a photograph, as the captain of the tug boat, Elewuro, is seen through the window.

A tug boat pulls a line of log rafts.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

A tug boat pulls a line of log rafts.

Rafts made of logs transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Rafts made of logs transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.

Marigi smokes a cigarette in the hut on top his raft of logs.
. Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi smokes a cigarette in the hut on top his raft of logs.

Marigi reads the Bible by torchlight in his makeshift hut built on a raft of logs.
. Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi reads the Bible by torchlight in his makeshift hut built on a raft of logs.

Rafts made of logs, transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Rafts made of logs, transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.

Marigi sits in his hut on his raft.
. Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Marigi sits in his hut on his raft.

Bolaji Ikuejamoye, uses an axe to fasten a loose joint on his raft.
. Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Bolaji Ikuejamoye, uses an axe to fasten a loose joint on his raft.

Rafts made of logs, transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.
. Lagos, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Rafts made of logs, transported from Ondo state and other parts of the country are seen gathered in the Lagos lagoon.

Hammered rafts ready to be transported to Lagos State are seen at sunrise.
. Ipare, Nigeria. Reuters/Nyancho NwaNri

Hammered rafts ready to be transported to Lagos State are seen at sunrise.