Nitrogen fertilizer use in Nigeria
Nigeria: Nitrogen fertilizer use was 87,804 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Nitrogen fertilizer use in Nigeria, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 87,804 tonnes for nitrogen fertilizer use in 2023.
That represents a change of down 28.1% on the previous year and down 67.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrogen fertilizer use in Nigeria peaked at 591,628 tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 371 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 74th out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,266 tonnes | 371 tonnes | 4,600 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 23,081 tonnes | 2,572 tonnes | 62,400 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 120,520 tonnes | 92,200 tonnes | 180,400 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 153,730 tonnes | 77,300 tonnes | 220,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 138,646 tonnes | 70,115 tonnes | 216,854 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 291,651 tonnes | 138,428 tonnes | 453,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 307,067 tonnes | 87,804 tonnes | 591,628 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 66.82 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 23.0% (2025)
- Rural population 86.04 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Land under cereal production 18.28 million hectares (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nitrogen fertilizer use in Nigeria?
- Nitrogen fertilizer use in Nigeria was 87,804 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 591,628 tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest nitrogen fertilizer use recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 371 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for nitrogen fertilizer use?
- Nigeria ranks 74th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nitrogen fertilizer use rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Nitrogen fertilizer use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measures total nitrogen inputs, including synthetic fertilizers alongside organic inputs from manure and crop fixation. Measured in tonnes of nitrogen.