In Nigeria's Disappearing Forests, Loggers Outnumber Trees

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In Nigeria's Disappearing Forests, Loggers Outnumber Trees

Egbontoluwa Marigi worked deep in a forest in Nigeria, a country on the western coast of Africa. He is a logger who cuts down trees using an axe¹ and a machete.

The forest where he worked is in the Ondo State in southwest Nigeria. But many trees in that forest have been lost to illegal logging.

The 61-year-old father of two told Reuters that he could cut down over 15 trees anywhere in the forest, but he would be lucky to find two.

"During the time of our forefathers², 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.

After cutting down the trees, Marigi put markers on them to let other loggers know that he is the owner. The cut-down trees, or logs, are then transported by waterways and rivers to Nigeria's most populated city, Lagos.

Trees in Nigeria are cut down to open land for farming or to feed the energy demand of a growing population. From 2001 to 2021, Nigeria has lost 1.14 million hectares of tree cover.

Global Forest Watch provides data and follows the state of the forests. The organization says that the 11 percent decrease in tree cover in Nigeria equals the emissions³ of 587 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

President Muhammadu Buhari spoke⁴ at a recent UN meeting on biodiversity, or the state of the biological environment, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He said that Nigeria has provided money to help regrow the country's forests. But that may not be enough as the country loses forests even more quickly.

Femi Obadun is the director of forest management for Ondo state's agriculture ministry⁵. He said, "Protecting the forest means protecting ourselves. When we destroy the forest, we destroy humanity."

That is something Marigi knows well, but he must make a living.

Months after cutting the trees, Marigi returned to the forest to tie his 40 logs together so they could be transported. With other loggers, he paid for a tugboat to pull the logs through waterways from Ondo state to Lagos.

They built shelters on top of the floating logs to help protect themselves from the weather. Food was shared and they sang local songs to cheer themselves up. They did not sleep at night to make sure that the logs would not get away from the boat.

The boat stopped at several places to pick up more loggers and their logs. A single boat can transport thousands of such logs.

Marigi's trip ended in Lagos where logs from Ondo state and other parts of the country came together. The logs were then cut and sold to users.

Words in This Story

allow – v. to permit (someone) to have or do something

mature – v. to continue developing to a desired level

humanity – n. all people

tugboat – n. a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships especially into harbors or up rivers

1 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

2 forefathers   

n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left. 它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先，大家都气得怒发冲冠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。