Deforestation · 10 km around the city · 2001–2025
Deforestation around Ibadan
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ibadan has lost about 306 hectares of forest (about 430 football pitches): 45% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
- Forest in 2000
- 673 hawithin 10 km of the centre
- Forest lost since 2001
- 306 ha45% of it, about 430 football pitches
- Cleared for good
- 306 hadeforestation, over 99% of the loss
- Worst year
- 200182 ha lost
Satellite timelapse
2017: satellite photo from February 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city centre.
Satellite photos of the same 5 × 5 km area, one per year, all taken in the same season so the colours compare. You can see forest being cleared and towns spreading, though not single trees. Download the before/after image (free to reuse with credit to Airleaf).
Year by year
Forest lost around Ibadan, year by year
The worst year was 2001, when about 82 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 82 ha | under 1 ha | 82 ha |
| 2002 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2003 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2004 | 3 ha | under 1 ha | 3 ha |
| 2005 | 7 ha | under 1 ha | 7 ha |
| 2006 | 22 ha | under 1 ha | 22 ha |
| 2007 | 21 ha | under 1 ha | 21 ha |
| 2008 | 63 ha | under 1 ha | 63 ha |
| 2009 | 4 ha | under 1 ha | 4 ha |
| 2010 | 11 ha | under 1 ha | 11 ha |
| 2011 | 12 ha | under 1 ha | 12 ha |
| 2012 | 41 ha | under 1 ha | 41 ha |
| 2013 | 9 ha | under 1 ha | 9 ha |
| 2014 | 8 ha | under 1 ha | 8 ha |
| 2015 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2016 | 1 ha | under 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2017 | 5 ha | under 1 ha | 5 ha |
| 2018 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2020 | 2 ha | under 1 ha | 2 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 3,240 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 2,790 ha
- Overall change
- −443 haless forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ibadan shrank from about 3,240 hectares to 2,790 hectares, a net loss of about 443 hectares (−14%). New forest grew on about 204 hectares, but 648 hectares were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation around Ibadan?
- over 99%cleared for good (deforestation)
- Towns and roadsover 99% · 305 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
Also, each under 1%: farms, pasture and plantations, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Nearby cities losing forest
| City | Forest lost (10 km) | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benin City | 2,260 ha | 39% | 2,260 ha |
Use this data
Put Ibadan's forest loss on your site
Free to embed, with a link back to the full figures.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation around Ibadan
How much forest has Ibadan lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Ibadan has lost about 306 hectares of forest (about 430 football pitches): 45% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (over 99%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
What is causing deforestation around Ibadan?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are towns and roads (over 99%), farms, pasture and plantations (under 1%). About 306 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss around Ibadan?
The worst year was 2001, when about 82 hectares of forest were lost.
Is the forest around Ibadan growing or shrinking?
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Ibadan shrank from about 3,240 hectares to 2,790 hectares, a net loss of about 443 hectares (−14%). New forest grew on about 204 hectares, but 648 hectares were lost. These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
Can I see satellite images of Ibadan over the years?
Yes. The timelapse at the top of this page has a satellite photo for every year from 2017 to 2026 of a 5 × 5 km area in the centre of Ibadan. Press play to watch it change, or turn on "Show cleared forest" to see exactly where trees were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches within 10 km of the centre of Ibadan, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.