By RAMATU GARBA

The Kano State Government has announced a statewide ban on the illegal use of chainsaws for tree cutting, felling or trimming, as part of efforts to curb indiscriminate deforestation and protect the environment.

The action also aims to safeguard community livelihoods, and ensure the sustainability of natural resources in the state.

The State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Dahiru Muhammad-Hashim, disclosed this on Tuesday at a news conference in Kano.

He said the ban was backed by relevant laws, including section 20 of the 1999 Constitution, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act 2007, and the National Environmental Regulations 2014 on tree cutting.

He explained that the decision aligned with the Nigerian Implementation Strategy under the NDC 3.0, which aimed to reduce deforestation by 60 per cent and restore degraded forests through sustainable management.

“To regulate chainsaw operations, the ministry has introduced the Chainsaw Usage Permit Framework (CUPF).

“The framework has two categories: the Chainsaw Operator License (CUPF-A), which requires that all commercial operators and logging businesses must register annually with the ministry and the Tree Felling/Trimming Permit (CUPF-B) mandatory for all tree removal or trimming in both public and private spaces,” he said.

“Each tree felled must be replaced with at least two to three saplings as part of our reforestation plan. Fees collected will fund replanting and climate resilience programmes,” the commissioner said.

Muhammad-Hashim explained that a digital registry of licensed operators and permits had been created, with each permit carrying a QR code for real-time verification.

“Monitoring and Enforcement will be carried out in collaboration with security agencies, local government authorities, traditional institutions, and community forest monitors”

He warned that violators risked fines of N500,000, confiscation of equipment and possible imprisonment for operating chainsaws without a license, while those who fell trees without a permit facing N250,000 fine per tree in addition to replanting orders.

He called on local government chairmen, schools, mosques, religious leaders and traditional institutions to support enforcement and sensitise communities on the dangers of illegal tree felling.

The commissioner further urged chainsaw operators, institutions, businesses and individuals to comply fully with the new regulation, stressing the government’s commitment to protecting Kano’s environment and strengthening resilience against climate change. (NAN)