Keywords
Remote Sensing
Environmental risk
Monitoring
Landuse/Landcover
NASRDA
Abstract
Geospatial technologies (Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS, Geographic Information Systems - GIS, Cartography and Remote Sensing - RS) have become fundamental to environmental risk mapping and assessment in Nigeria, a country of over 220 million people covering approximately 923,768 km² and spanning ecosystems from the mangroves of the Niger Delta to the semi-arid Sahel. This paper assesses the scope, performance, and constraints of Geospatial technologies applications in managing land-use/land-cover (LULC) change, coastal erosion, flooding, desertification, wetland loss, oil pollution, and rapid urbanization. Multi-temporal satellite analyses indicate that Nigeria’s urban built-up area expanded by more than 150% between 1996 and 2026, while forest cover declined by 7–10% in several southern states. Shoreline retreat rates of 2–30 m per year have been recorded along parts of the coast, and flood-risk mapping shows that approximately 20–25% of the population resides in flood-prone zones. In northern frontline states, desertification advances at an estimated 0.6 km annually. Institutional review highlights the growing role of the National Space Research and Development Agency and over 40 universities offering geospatial training; however, fewer than half of state environmental agencies operate functional GIS units. The study identifies progress in data availability and technical capacity but underscores persistent gaps in funding, data integration, and policy uptake, proposing a strategic roadmap for strengthened geospatial governance.
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