News Investigators/ The Nasarawa State Government has reaffirmed its ban on charcoal production, saying it is intensifying efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, waste management challenges and flooding in the state. Ede Yakubu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, stated this while speaking with newsmen in Lafia on Wednesday. Mr Yakubu said that indiscriminate charcoal production had resulted in massive deforestation and land degradation, thereby worsening the effects of climate change in the state. “That is why the government placed a ban on charcoal exploitation. He said the ministry, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Waste Management Authority (NASWAMSA) and the Nasarawa State Environment Protection Agency (NASEPA), had engaged a consultant to provide waste bins for households.