A recent high-level webinar welcomed the reforms undertaken since 2018 in the sub-region to enhance the forestry sector and make it a catalyst for economic development.
PANCANR’s High-level webinar series to promote the sustainable utilization of Africa’s natural resources for enhanced economic and social development in Africa in West and Central Africa took place on September 24, 2025, on the log export ban in Africa: the case of the Central African region. The second regional webinar (following the one on July 10, 2025) initiated by Pan African Network for the Conservation of Africa’s Natural Resources (PANCANR) provided an opportunity to share experiences and lessons learned from countries implementing this policy and to raise awareness among African countries and forestry sector stakeholders on the importance of the log export ban. The challenge was also to encourage compliance in the private sector, particularly companies specializing in processing, and to promote strengthened regional cooperation between States, NGOs, institutions and companies, for 100% implementation of the ban.
« Log exports are crucial to our economies. The challenge for states is to create added value by processing logs locally, to generate more jobs and improve people’s livelihoods, » said the Executive Secretary of PANCANR, Almani Dampha. The main objective is to encourage all African countries to adopt the same approach as the countries of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African (CEMAC) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to create more added value and improve the processed wood value chain. It requires the political will from stakeholders.
Inspiring Leadership from CEMAC States and the DRC
The Director of Industrial Development, Mining, and Tourism at the CEMAC Commission, Grégory Lionel Beyina, gave a presentation on the Sustainable Industrialization Strategy for the Timber Sector in the Congo Basin. We learned that in September 2018, the countries of the Congo Basin approved the development of the said Strategy with the technical and financial support of the African Development Bank (AfDB). The document aims to add value upstream and downstream in the timber value chain, in order to move it up the global value chain rather than simply exporting timber in log form.
The Strategy’s objectives are: increasing the area under concessions (75 million hectares under concession, a 50% increase); intensifying harvests per hectare (doubling to 15 million cubic meters per year); local industrial processing (100% primary processing and 50% secondary and tertiary processing); developing the international and African market (developing the African tropical timber market); and developing national economies (25% increase in tax revenues, more than 60,000 jobs, and €3 billion in investment sought).
Challenges In The Implementation of the ban measure
As for the current level of implementation of the decision in CEMAC countries and the DRC, Gabon has already fully implemented the measure and is enjoying its benefits, thanks to significant local transformation. Congo has tentatively implemented the measure since January 1, 2023. The CAR, the DRC, and Equatorial Guinea have adopted a phased implementation of the decision, taking into account quota systems. Cameroon has adopted a phased implementation, with the particularity of banning certain secondary species from 2025, as part of an implementation plan for 2028.
The NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has been conducting a forestry campaign for about ten years in the Central African subregion. According to Luke Allen, Senior Campaigner at the organization, the export of logs is very critical. He therefore sees the ban as an opportunity for job creation and the emergence of new specialized professions in the forestry sector. The figures he mentioned indicate that 16 Countries are complying with the total ban while 15 Countries are complying with the partial ban. He also mentioned the Log Export Bans (LEBs), a policy that prohibits the export of timber in the form of logs. The LEBs indeed allows governments to curb illegalities. The former CITES focal point in Senegal Mr. Abba Sonko, welcomes the leadership observed in the Central African sub-region. « The initiatives being taken in Central Africa are to be commended. Sending logs abroad is a great loss. By processing them locally, there are positive effects, » he believes.
Gabon, A Pioneer In The valorization Of Processed Wood
Gabon is positioning itself as a pioneer in this field. When the measure banning log exports to Gabon was taken in 2010, the bear’s skin was not selling at a high price. However, the measures taken in a concerted manner and with appropriate support have helped convince segments of industry and public finance to embrace the new paradigm. When this decision was fully adopted in Gabon, the loss of tax revenue was estimated at around 80%, or 75 billion francs.
This did not discourage the Country’s authorities. On the contrary! It was necessary to restructure the industrial sector by upgrading existing operators, fostering the development of manufacturers specializing in different types of processing, and developing the timber value chain. This required harmonizing and clarifying the legal framework with clear deadlines and enforcement mechanisms, establishing digital traceability of timber batches (permits, origin, destination), strengthening port controls, and strengthening local capacity: investments in value-added processing, training, and access to financing.
According to Jean Marie Ntoutoume of the Agency for the Execution of Activities of the Forest-Wood Sector (UFIGA), during the first two or three years following the ban, there was a decline in forest production. But the momentum was already underway, according to the private sector player. In 14 years, Mr. Ntoutoume continues, GDP has doubled. On the social level, jobs have increased from 9,000 to 15,000. The main markets are Asia (56%) and India (14%). Europe absorbs the rest. Another piece of good news: in Gabon, 2,500 km² of deforestation was curbed during the first ten years of the mechanism’s implementation, observes Luke Allen of EIA. However, the main constraint is the energy issue. According to Mr. Ntoutoume, companies generate significant volumes of diesel, which is two to four times more expensive than electricity. This increases production costs, and therefore the prices of wood-based products.
Governance and Social Inclusion Components Required
During a presentation by Dr. Elvis Paul Nfor Tangem, a member of the PANCANR board of directors, he indicated that, despite Cameroon’s commitment to processing its wood, significant quantities of wood continue to leave the country unprocessed. « Hundreds of trucks on the Belabo-Bertoua and Douala-Yaoundé roads go directly to Douala and Kribi ports ». It’s a very opaque business. This calls into question the monitoring and control measures for the successful implementation of the ban on processing timber into logs, » he laments. « We must continue to fight to ensure that our policies are effectively implemented, » observes Radenamias LLC Chief Executive Officer Raphaël Edou, who is also a former Beninese Minister of the Environment responsible for climate change management, reforestation, and the protection of natural and forest resources.
For former Gambian Vice President H.E. Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, it is important to address issues of corruption and governance. « We have resources to leave to our future generations. We must build bridges to address employment, poverty, and other issues. Technical and financial partners must also address issues of governance, transparency, and accountability so that the loans granted are truly used for the benefit of communities, » insists Mrs. Jallow-Tambajang. The role of youth and women is a catalyst to ensure that regulations are effectively implemented.
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