Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Nigeria

Nigeria: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 3,714 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
3,714 hectares
Change on year
up 60.2%
World rank
27th
of 225 countries
All-time high
7,449 hectares
in 2020
All-time low
472.25 hectares
in 2012
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Nigeria, 2002–2024

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k2002201320242002: 2.4k hectares2003: 3.0k hectares2004: 2.0k hectares2005: 4.5k hectares2006: 1.9k hectares2007: 2.1k hectares2008: 3.2k hectares2009: 2.0k hectares2010: 1.3k hectares2011: 2.3k hectares2012: 472.2 hectares2013: 1.2k hectares2014: 1.5k hectares2015: 3.0k hectares2016: 4.2k hectares2017: 4.2k hectares2018: 1.1k hectares2019: 1.8k hectares2020: 7.4k hectares2021: 2.9k hectares2022: 3.4k hectares2023: 2.3k hectares2024: 3.7k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 3,714 hectares for wildfire area burned by land cover type in 2024.

That represents a change of up 60.2% on the previous year and up 143.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Nigeria peaked at 7,449 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 472.25 hectares, in 2012.

Nigeria ranks 27th of 225 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2,654 hectares 1,889 hectares 4,486 hectares 8
2010s 2,110 hectares 472.25 hectares 4,207 hectares 10
2020s 3,958 hectares 2,318 hectares 7,449 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 24 Indonesia 4,701 hectares compare
  2. 25 Suriname 4,186 hectares compare
  3. 26 Mozambique 3,928 hectares compare
  4. 28 Cameroon 2,898 hectares compare
  5. 29 Ukraine 2,834 hectares compare
  6. 30 South Africa 2,726 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Nigeria?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Nigeria was 3,714 hectares in 2024, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 7,449 hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 472.25 hectares in 2012.
How does Nigeria rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
Nigeria ranks 27th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 143.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wildfire area burned by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Wildfire area burned by land cover type
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
225 places, 5,175 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

Area of other land types burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes wetlands, urban areas, snow and ice, bare ground, and water bodies.