Methane emissions by sector in Nigeria
Nigeria: Methane emissions by sector was 180,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Methane emissions by sector in Nigeria, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 180,000 tonnes for methane emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.6% on the previous year and down 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions by sector in Nigeria peaked at 10.03 million tonnes in 1996 and was at its lowest, 40,000 tonnes, in 2018.
That places Nigeria 32nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Methane emissions by sector in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.76 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 1.76 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.76 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.76 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.76 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.76 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 10.03 million tonnes | +469.9% |
| 1997 | 8.52 million tonnes | -15.1% |
| 1998 | 10.01 million tonnes | +17.5% |
| 1999 | 8.48 million tonnes | -15.3% |
| 2000 | 9.40 million tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2001 | 380,000 tonnes | -96.0% |
| 2002 | 210,000 tonnes | -44.7% |
| 2003 | 350,000 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 2004 | 140,000 tonnes | -60.0% |
| 2005 | 310,000 tonnes | +121.4% |
| 2006 | 230,000 tonnes | -25.8% |
| 2007 | 190,000 tonnes | -17.4% |
| 2008 | 180,000 tonnes | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 80,000 tonnes | -55.6% |
| 2010 | 120,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 2011 | 110,000 tonnes | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 120,000 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 240,000 tonnes | +100.0% |
| 2014 | 140,000 tonnes | -41.7% |
| 2015 | 100,000 tonnes | -28.6% |
| 2016 | 170,000 tonnes | +70.0% |
| 2017 | 110,000 tonnes | -35.3% |
| 2018 | 40,000 tonnes | -63.6% |
| 2019 | 140,000 tonnes | +250.0% |
| 2020 | 500,000 tonnes | +257.1% |
| 2021 | 170,000 tonnes | -66.0% |
| 2022 | 140,000 tonnes | -17.6% |
| 2023 | 180,000 tonnes | +28.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 180,000 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10,000 tonnes, 18.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 180,000 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,000 tonnes, 18.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions by sector in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +469.9% | 1.76 million tonnes | 10.03 million tonnes |
| 2020 | +257.1% | 140,000 tonnes | 500,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.76 million tonnes | 1.76 million tonnes | 10.03 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.15 million tonnes | 80,000 tonnes | 9.40 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 129,000 tonnes | 40,000 tonnes | 240,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 247,500 tonnes | 140,000 tonnes | 500,000 tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More climate change data for Nigeria
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 608.40 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 66,810 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 24,814 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 41,996 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,500 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 22,614 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,292 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15,322 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 27.52 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is methane emissions by sector in Nigeria?
- Methane emissions by sector in Nigeria was 180,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions by sector recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 10.03 million tonnes in 1996.
- What is the lowest methane emissions by sector recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 40,000 tonnes in 2018.
- How does Nigeria rank for methane emissions by sector?
- Nigeria ranks 32nd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is methane emissions by sector rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents.