Agricultural land in Nigeria
Nigeria: Agricultural land was 76.20 million hectares in 2011. β² Rising
Agricultural land in Nigeria, 1961β2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 76.20 million hectares for agricultural land in 2011.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Nigeria peaked at 78.00 million hectares in 2006 and was at its lowest, 68.80 million hectares, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 3rd out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 69.19 million hectares | 68.80 million hectares | 69.75 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 70.04 million hectares | 69.90 million hectares | 70.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.04 million hectares | 70.39 million hectares | 71.89 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.96 million hectares | 69.94 million hectares | 72.83 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.97 million hectares | 71.85 million hectares | 78.00 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.20 million hectares | 76.20 million hectares | 76.20 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 1 Sudan 136.25 million hectares compare
- 2 South Africa 96.37 million hectares compare
- 4 Angola 58.39 million hectares compare
- 5 Chad 49.93 million hectares compare
- 6 Mozambique, Republic of 49.40 million hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 22.98 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 22.98 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Nigeria?
- Agricultural land in Nigeria was 76.20 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 78.00 million hectares in 2006.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.80 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for agricultural land?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Agricultural land (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.