Nigeria Biodiversity

Nigeria has variable climatic conditions, and physical characteristics have combined to create some of Africa’s richest floral and faunal biodiversity. Nigeria is home to over 864 species of birds, 117 amphibians, 203 reptiles, over 775 species of fish, 285 mammals, over 4,715 vascular plants, and likely many more undocumented species, according to the recent National Strategy for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria (2022-2026) [1].

The country’s natural ecosystems range from semi-arid savannah to montane forests, rich seasonal floodplain environments to rainforests, and vast freshwater swamp forests to diverse coastal vegetation [1].

The main vegetation patterns extend in broad east-west belts parallel to the Equator. Mangroves and freshwater swamps occur along the coast and in the Niger Delta. Nigeria’s mangrove swamp ecological region extends to other countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, and Angola. The Niger Delta area in Nigeria is the third largest mangrove forest in the world and the largest in Africa, encompassing 1 million hectares out of the 3.2 million hectares of mangrove forest in Africa [2]. Thus, the Niger Delta mangrove forest is a global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, there are 11 Ramsar sites in Nigeria, with a total coverage of 1,076,728 hectares. Three of these sites are found in the Niger Delta, namely – Apoi Creek Forest in Bayelsa State, Upper Orashi Forests in Rivers State, and Lake Oguta in Imo State along the Niger River floodplain [3].

 

Dance Moves

Biodiversity plays a vital role in the livelihoods and survival of many Nigerians. It provides diverse ecosystem services, including climate regulation, provision of food and medicine, raw materials, and aesthetic values [4], [5]. Nigeria’s rural population is highly dependent on the country’s varied forms of biodiversity endowment. For example, about 70% of Nigerian households, primarily rural and semi-urban, rely heavily on firewood consumption for domestic and predominantly commercial energy needs. In addition, tourism is one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing industries and relies on wildlife, nature reserves, resorts, and an abundant water supply for recreation [6].

However, biodiversity is undervalued in Nigeria, and the country’s biological resources are continually threatened by increasing rates of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss [4]. According to the IUCN Red List 2013, Nigeria has 309 threatened species [6]. The Niger Delta Red Colobus, Cross River Gorilla, Gambles’ Relic, Gamble’s Flatwing and Perret’s Toad are among the critically endangered species in Nigeria, according to the updated IUCN Red List (2019) [7].

As a global biodiversity hotspot, Nigeria is one of the world’s highest priorities for biodiversity conservation.