Mangrove in Nigeria

Mangroves are salt-tolerant shrub or tree that grows mainly on coastal inter tidal wetlands and estuaries. Mangroves are one of the world’s dominant coastal ecosystems. Nigeria has the largest mangrove forest in Africa, which spread across the southern part of the country, from Badagry in the southwestern part of Nigeria to Calabar. Major parts of the mangroves in Nigeria are found in the Niger Delta region of the country, mainly in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states.

The word mangrove not only refers to the plant but also, the ecosystem were these plants thrive is referred to as mangrove ecosystem. There are over seventy different species of mangrove all over the world, in Nigeria three major types of mangrove are mainly found in the country which are commonly referred to as Red, White and Black mangrove. Although other species of mangrove are available in the country, the red white an black mangrove are more prevalent with the red mangrove dominating major parts of Nigeria's mangrove ecosystem. Mangroves provides a wide range of environmental, economic and social services to people and communities in Nigeria, which are often referred to as mangrove ecosystem goods and services. Some of these goods and services include, provision of  timber for fuel and construction, creation of jobs and food through fishing, farming and aquaculture, protection of the environment by storing carbon, preventing coastal erosion and reducing the impact of natural disasters such as heavy storms and many more.

Like many mangrove ecosystem all over the world, the mangrove ecosystem in Nigeria is being threatened by several anthropological factors such as, deforestation, pollution, mangrove ecosystem conversion, urbanization and population growth. Over the years in Nigeria, pollution from the oil and gas industry can be said to be the leading cause of mangrove loss in Nigeria. The need to protect and conserve mangrove ecosystem in the country have become necessary, and the rehabilitation of damaged mangrove ecosystem in the country must be expedited.