Nigeria Leads in Forest Area but Faces Decline, While Ghana Sees Growth from 2019 to 2022

  • Nigeria remains the largest forest owner in West Africa, despite a steady decline in forest area from 217,902.5 km² in 2019 to 213,003.5 km² in 2022.
  • Ghana is the only top forest-owning country with increasing forest area, growing from 79,784.8 km² in 2019 to 80,001.6 km² in 2022.
  • Liberia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso all experienced gradual declines in forest area over the period.
  • Burkina Faso has the smallest forest area among these countries, with 61,164 km² in 2022.

Between 2019 and 2022, Nigeria’s forest area shrank by nearly 5,000 km², continuing its trend of deforestation. Ghana, on the other hand, saw a consistent yearly increase, making it the only country among the top forest owners in West Africa to expand its forest cover. Liberia, Senegal, and Burkina Faso also recorded declines, though at a slower rate than Nigeria.

Source:

2019-2022

Period:

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