It’s not a secret to anyone that Nigeria is heavily dependent on the production of crude oil for its economy. However, there is a lot more Nigeria has to offer since it’s one of the best located and diverse countries on the African continent.
The list of natural resources in Nigeria is so long that one thing becomes clear: if all of these natural resources were put to good use, Nigeria would be a much more prosperous country. See the list of natural resources in Nigeria and their locations right now!
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1. What are natural resources?
Before moving on to the list of Nigeria natural resources and their uses, let find out what natural resources are and how they can be classified. According to the most common definition, natural resources are a source of wealth that has occurred naturally and is used by humans.
Natural resources can be classified based on several principles. The most popular principle is the question of renewability. According to this principle, natural resources can be renewable (plants and animals), and non-renewable (fossil fuels, minerals, and soils).
As it’s clear from the name, non-renewable resources can be only found in limited quantities, and the production of new resources by the Earth can take millions of years. Nevertheless, it’s the non-renewable natural resources that are considered to be the most valuable.
Another popular classification of resources is founded on the natural resources in Nigeria and their uses. Based on this classification, Nigeria is rich in both mineral and agricultural resources that you can see below.
2. Mineral resources in Nigeria
The question of mineral resources in Nigeria and where they can be found is one of the most essential ones for Nigerian economy since they can be used for trading within the country and export. Here are the most crucial mineral natural resources located in Nigeria.
- Bitumen: found in Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo.
- Coal: found in Enugu, Ondo.
- Crude oil and gas: found in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Imo, Rivers.
- Gold: found in Ebonyi, Edo, Ijesha, Kaduna, Oyo.
- Iron ore: found in Anambra, Benue, Delta State, Kogi State, Kwara.
- Lead and zinc: found in Benue, Ebonyi, Kano, Ogoja.
- Salt: found in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi.
- Tin: found in Bauchi, Jos.
3. Agricultural resources in Nigeria
Agricultural resources are as important in the modern Nigerian economy as the mineral resources, as agricultural resources can not only be traded or exported but also successfully used by millions of Nigerians every day. Here are the most essential agricultural resources present in Nigeria today.
- Cocoa: found in Anambra, Edo, Imo, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo.
- Coffee: found in Bauchi, Kwara, Osun.
- Cotton: found in Kano, Katisna, Kwara, Niger, Sokoto.
- Groundnut: found in Ebonyi, Kano, Katisna, Niger, Sokoto.
- Kola nut: found in Kwara, Ogun, Osun, Oyo.
- Oil palm: found in Aba, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Imo, Oyo.
- Plantain: found in Oyo, Ogun, Osun.
- Rubber: found in Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ogun.
- Sugarcane: found in Sokoto.
- Timber: found in Delta, Edo, Ogun.
4. Resources in Nigeria: now and then
After seeing the list of every natural resource found in Nigeria, you probably don’t have any more doubts about how rich in resources and diverse our country truly is. However, there are a few key things to remember when thinking about natural resources in Nigeria.
First, until Nigeria got its independence, the natural resources were not only savagely mind, but the majority of them also went overseas, which is why some resources are in such a poor state that it may take a while for them to recover.
Second, we all need to remember that many of Nigerian natural resources are non-renewable, which is why everyone needs to adopt a responsible approach towards using the resources so that the future generations would not be left stranded.
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