Evaluation of Charcoal Usage and Its Influence on Deforestation in Makurdi Metropolis Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of impure carbon obtained from vegetation substance and produced by pyrolysis, the heating of wood in the absence of oxygen. Charcoal is considered the major source of energy for the inhabitants of Makurdi metropolis. The study was conducted to assess the consumption of charcoal in Makurdi metropolis. Five council wards were selected purposively for data collection. The selected wards are noted for having large quantities of charcoal and consumers almost all year round. The wards selected are Agan, Fiidi, Wadata, Modern Market, and North Bank. From each council ward, 20 respondents were drawn using a random sampling technique. 100 respondents were selected and interviewed using a pre-tested checklist (questionnaire) to collect primary data. From the result, Prosopis africana was the highest used tree species for charcoal with 83.5% then Vitellaria paradoxa with 7.9%. Also, 88% of the respondents preferred charcoal for cooking in providing food for the family because of its affordability compared to other cooking energy sources. Therefore, it is inferred that charcoal has a positive impact on the lives of consumers since affordability is considered the main reason why the majority of households use charcoal. However, the continuous use of forest trees threatens the future of our forest estate and biodiversity leading to land degradation, endangering of species and enhancement of global warming. Therefore, Alternative energy sources should be encouraged for household fuel to ease the pressure on charcoal.