Assessing the Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of Commercial Fuelwood Supply Chains in Zamfara State

Commercial fuelwood supply chains in the dryland zones of northwestern Nigeria link urban energy consumers to rural producers through complex trading networks whose cumulative ecological impact has never been comprehensively assessed at the landscape scale. In Zamfara State, chronic insecurity has further disrupted both supply chain operations and forestry monitoring, creating significant data gaps. This study assesses the ecological impact and socioeconomic structure of commercial fuelwood supply chains serving Gusau and Kaura Namoda, the two largest urban centres in Zamfara State. A supply chain mapping exercise traced fuelwood from point of harvest to retail market using trader interviews (n=87), transporter surveys (n=42), and retailer questionnaires (n=65) across the supply chain network. Vegetation surveys in identified harvesting zones quantified tree density, species composition, and stump density as indicators of extraction intensity. Extraction zones were mapped using GPS coordinates recorded by trained community monitors. Spatial analysis identified extraction hotspots covering approximately 38,000 hectares, predominantly in the Rima River basin woodlands. Species-selective extraction pressure was heaviest on Acacia senegal and Combretum glutinosum. Supply chain margins were highly asymmetric, with rural producers receiving only 12% of final retail value. Daily female charcoal trader income averaged N2,400, indicating a poverty-level return. The study recommends a graduated woodfuel levy applied at urban market level to fund rural community woodlot establishment and extension support. Keywords: fuelwood supply chain, wood energy, Zamfara State, dryland ecology, socioeconomic analysis