NASRDA Deploys Geospatial Tech to Monitor Deforestation Compliance

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has taken a central role in Nigeria's environmental strategy by deploying advanced geospatial monitoring systems to track deforestation. This initiative, launched in late 2025, is part of a national effort to comply with the European Union's stringent new deforestation regulations (EUDR). By utilizing satellite imagery and remote sensing data, NASRDA is providing real-time analytics on forest cover changes, enabling policymakers to identify illegal logging activities and verify sustainable agricultural practices.

This technological intervention is crucial for Nigeria's export economy, particularly for cocoa and timber producers who must now prove their products are not sourced from recently deforested land. The agency's new Director General, Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, emphasized that space science is being pivoted to solve immediate economic and ecological challenges. The data generated is also being shared with the Ministry of Environment to bolster conservation efforts in the country's depleting forest reserves.

Data-Driven Conservation

Beyond compliance, the project represents a leap forward in how Nigeria manages its ecosystems. Climate researchers are using the high-resolution data to model the impacts of climate change on biodiversity hotspots in the Cross River and Niger Delta regions. This collaboration between space scientists and ecologists is fostering a new era of evidence-based environmental management in West Africa.