Nigeria

12.2% —or about 11,089,000 hectares—of Nigeria is forested. Of this, 2.9% —or roughly 326,000 hectares—is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest.

Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average of 409,700 hectares of forest per year. The amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 2.38%. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest change increased by 31.2% to 3.12% per annum. In total, between 1990 and 2005, Nigeria lost 35.7% of its forest cover, or around 6,145,000 hectares. Nigeria lost -1,230,000 hectares—1—of its primary forest cover during that time. Deforestation rates of primary cover have decreased 79.1% since the close of the 1990s. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 interval, Nigeria lost 39.2% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Nigeria has some 1417 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.2% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.5% are threatened. Nigeria is home to at least 4715 species of vascular plants, of which 4.3% are endemic. 3.6% of Nigeria is protected under IUCN categories I-V.

Nigeria Environmental profile

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

Nigeria: Forest Cover, 2005 Total Land Area (ha) 91,077,000 Total Forest Area (ha) 11,089,000 Percent Forest Cover 12.18% Primary Forest Cover (ha) 326,000 Primary Forest, % total forest 2.94% Primary Forest, % total land 0.36% Other wooded land (ha) 5,495,000 Nigeria : Forest types Tropical (% forest area) 100% Subtropical (% forest area) 0% Temperate (% forest area) 0% Boreal/polar (% forest area) 0% Nigeria: Breakdown of forest types, 2005 Primary forest (ha | %) 326,000 2.9% Modified natural (ha | %) 10,414,000 93.9% Semi-natural (ha | %) - 0.0% Production plantation (ha | %) 349,000 3.1% Production plantation (ha | %) - 0.0% Nigeria: Change in Forest Cover TOTAL FOREST COVER Forest 1990 (ha) 17,234,000 Forest 2000 (ha) 13,137,000 Forest 2005 (ha) 11,089,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (409,700) -2.38% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (409,600) -3.12% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (6,145,000) -35.66% Change in rate (%) 31.15% PRIMARY FOREST COVER Primary 1990 (ha) 1,556,000 Primary 2000 (ha) 736,000 Primary 2005 (ha) 326,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (82,000) -5.27% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (82,000) -11.14% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (1,230,000) -79.05% Change in rate (%) 111.41% OTHER WOODED LAND Other 1990 (ha) 9,717,000 Other 2000 (ha) 6,902,000 Other 2005 (ha) 5,495,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (281,500) -2.90% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (281,400) -4.08% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (4,222,000) -43.45% Change in rate (%) 40.74% PLANTATIONS Other 1990 (ha) 251,000 Other 2000 (ha) 316,000 Other 2005 (ha) 349,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) 6,500 2.59% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) 6,600 2.09% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) 98,000 39.04% Change in rate (%) -19.35% TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations Other 1990 (ha) 26,700,000 Other 2000 (ha) 19,723,000 Other 2005 (ha) 16,235,000 Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) (697,700) -2.61% Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) (697,600) -3.54% Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) (10,465,000) -39.19% Change in rate (%) 35.36% Nigeria: Primary Primary or "old-growth" vegetation Primary Forest 2005 (ha) 326,000 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 0 Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) 326,000 Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) 0.36% Nigeria: Forest designation Ownership of forest land, 2000 Public (%) 100.0% Private (%) 0.0% Other (%) 0.0% Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 Public (%) 100.0% Private (%) 0.0% Other (%) 0.0% Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 Production (%) 27.6% Protection (%) 0.0% Conservation (%) 49.6% Social Services (%) 0.0% Multiple Services (%) 0.0% None of Unknown (%) 22.7% Nigeria: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000 Forest Area annually affected by Fire (%) - Insects (ha) - Diseases (ha) - Other (ha) - Nigeria: Protected areas 1 Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 1 World Heritage sites, 2004 1 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 3.6% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 2.72% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.81% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Nigeria: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 73 endemic species 2 threatened species 13 Birds total species 899 endemic species 4 threatened species 9 Mammals total species 290 endemic species 4 threatened species 25 Reptiles total species 155 endemic species 7 threatened species 2 Wildlife diversity total species 1417 endemic species 17 threatened species 49 Nigeria: Biodiversity - Plants Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Growing stock composition 3 most common species % of total growing stock - Number of Native tree species Native tree species 560 Number of tree species in IUCN red list Critically Endangered 16 Endangered 18 Vulnerable 138 Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total 4715 Number endemic 205 Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 Species threatened 170 Nigeria: Value of forests Biomass stock in forest, 2005 Above-ground biomass (M t) 2,261 Below-ground biomass (M t) 543 Dead wood (M t) 392 Total (M t) 3,195 Carbon stock in forest, 2005 Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) 1,130 Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) 271 Carbon in dead wood (M t) 196 Carbon in litter (M t) - Soil carbon (M t) - Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) 1990-2000 -45,000 2000-2005 -45,000 Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) 1990-2000 0.3 2000-2005 0.47 Wood removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) 13,916 Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) 72,711 Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) 86,627 Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) 6 Plant products 2005 Food (t) - Fodder (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) - Ornamental plants (t) - Exudates (t) - Other plant products (t) - Animal products 2005 Living animals (units) - Hides, skins and trophies (units) - Wild honey and bee-wax (t) - Bush meat (t) - Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) - Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) - Other edible animal products (t) - Other non-edible animal products (t) - Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 Industrial roundwood (US$) $1,527,288,000 Wood fuel (US$) $475,429,000 Non-wood forest products (US$) - Total value (US$) $2,002,718,000 Total value ($USD/ha) $181 Employment in forestry 2000 Total people employed 11,000 Nigeria : Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002 Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 60,064 Imports - Exports 1 Consumption 60,063 Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 9,418 Imports 1 Exports 4 Consumption 9,415 Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 2,000 Imports 1 Exports 0 Consumption 2,001 Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 Production 95 Imports 74 Exports 0 Consumption 169 Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 23 Imports 17 Exports - Consumption 40 Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 Production 19 Imports 182 Exports 2 Consumption 199 Nigeria: Environment Environment - current issues soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Natural hazards periodic droughts; flooding Nigeria: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 31.29% permanent crops: 2.96% other: 65.75% (2001) Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land Nigeria: Economy Economy - overview: Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003 the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. GDP rose strongly in 2005, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for an historic debt relief deal that by March 2006 should eliminate $30 billion worth of Nigeria's total $36 billion external debt. The deal first requires that Nigeria repay roughly $12 billion in arrears to its bilateral creditors. Nigeria would then be allowed to buyback its remaining debt stock at a discount. The deal commits Nigeria more intensified IMF reviews. GDP - per capita $1,000 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 5.2% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 26.8%, industry: 48.8%, services: 24.4% (2005 est.) Industries crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair Economic aid - recipient IMF $250 million (1998) Debt - external $37.49 billion (2005 est.) Population below poverty line (%) 60% (2000 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.) Nigeria: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 128,771,988 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 2.37% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 141.4 Percent rural (2003) 53.3% Median age (years) total: 18.63 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 5.53 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5% Largest Cities in Nigeria Cities and urban areas in Nigeria with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Lagos Nigeria 8029200 9123200 Kano Nigeria 3248700 3519500 Ibadan Nigeria 3078400 3670400 Kaduna Nigeria 1458900 1458900 Port Harcourt Nigeria 1053900 1190600 Benin Nigeria 1051600 1051600 Maiduguri Nigeria 971700 971700 Zaria Nigeria 898900 898900 Aba Nigeria 784500 899100 Ilorin Nigeria 756400 756400 Jos Nigeria 742100 742100 Ogbomosho Nigeria 726300 985600 Oyo Nigeria 620400 620400 Enugu Nigeria 593300 662800 Abeokuta Nigeria 529700 698100 Onitsha Nigeria 509500 1001000 Warri Nigeria 500900 500900 Sokoto Nigeria 500500 500500 Okene Nigeria 444900 444900 Calabar Nigeria 431200 431200 Oshogbo Nigeria 421000 1309900 Katsina Nigeria 387000 387000 Akure Nigeria 369700 369700 Ife Nigeria 313400 313400 Bauchi Nigeria 291600 291600 Iseyin Nigeria 286700 286700 Minna Nigeria 270600 270600 Makurdi Nigeria 249000 249000 Owo Nigeria 243000 243000 Ado Nigeria 241200 523300 Ilesha Nigeria 233900 561200 Gombe Nigeria 230900 230900 Umuahia Nigeria 230800 230800 Ondo Nigeria 225800 225800 Damaturu Nigeria 223000 223000 Jimeta Nigeria 218400 218400 Ikot Ekpene Nigeria 209400 209400 Gusau Nigeria 201200 201200 Mubi Nigeria 198700 198700 Shagamu Nigeria 191500 191500 Owerri Nigeria 187600 187600 Ugep Nigeria 187000 187000 Ijebu Ode Nigeria 186700 186700 Ise Nigeria 167100 167100 Gboko Nigeria 166400 166400 Ilawe Nigeria 160700 160700 Ikare Nigeria 160600 160600 Abuja Nigeria 159900 565100 Bida Nigeria 159100 159100 Okpoko Nigeria 152900 152900 Awka Nigeria 152300 152300 Sapele Nigeria 151000 151000 Ila Nigeria 150700 150700 Shaki Nigeria 150300 150300 Ijero Nigeria 147300 147300 Otukpo Nigeria 136800 136800 Kishi Nigeria 130800 130800 Bugama Nigeria 124200 124200 Funtua Nigeria 122500 122500 Abakaliki Nigeria 121700 121700 Gbongan Nigeria 117300 117300 Lafia Nigeria 115500 115500 Igboho Nigeria 115000 115000 Amaigbo Nigeria 111000 111000 Gashua Nigeria 109600 109600 Offa Nigeria 105700 105700 Jalingo Nigeria 103600 103600 Bama Nigeria 102800 102800 Uyo Nigeria 102400 102400 Uromi Nigeria 101400 101400 Nsukka Nigeria 100700 100700 Okigwe Nigeria 100700 100700 Modakeke Nigeria 100500 100500  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com