Vegetation mapping in nigeria: current status, challenges and the Way forward

Abstract

Vegetation serves as a critical ecological and socio-economic resource, maintaining biodiversity, regulating water cycles, and providing sustenance, particularly in developing countries. With the increasing threat of global warming due to deforestation, effective vegetation mapping has become essential for biodiversity conservation and forest management. This paper reviews vegetation mapping techniques, types, and their significance in environmental management, focusing on Nigeria. While field-based methods offer high-resolution data, they are time-consuming and costly. Thus, remote sensing has become the preferred alternative. However, despite technological advances, vegetation mapping in Nigeria remains outdated and inconsistent, with notable challenges in accessibility and accuracy. Although groundbreaking, the national mapping projects, including the NIRAD and FORMECU projects, suffer from scale-related errors and inadequate classification schemes. 
Regional efforts face similar issues, compounded by the lack of a comprehensive, accessible mapping framework. To address these issues, the paper suggests developing a National Mapping Policy, adopting digital interpretation techniques, utilizing hyperspectral imagery, and improving access to vegetation maps through web-based platforms. It also proposes establishing a central geospatial data agency to coordinate and share mapping resources. The recommendations highlight the urgent need for accurate, accessible vegetation data to support sustainable environmental planning and resource management in Nigeria.