Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Aliyu Agwai, who announced this while addressing newsmen on Saturday in Lafia, said the move was to protect the environment.
He warned those selling and using charcoal to desist from doing so to avoid prosecution.
He said that the process of producing charcoal was harmful to the environment as it destroys the climate and increases global warming.
Agwai said, “Cutting trees can result in the loss of habitat for animal species, which can harm the ecosystems.
“Almost all the land animals and plants live in forests and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.”
Some Nigerians have reverted to using firewood to cook as a result of the increase in the price of cooking gas.
