From a distance, black smoke spirals into the air. Closer, a pungent smell becomes sharp and real. A little further on, 63-year-old Sikiru Lawal, a rural farmer based in Ile-Ife, sweats as he clears his farmland. Beside him lies a heap of gathered debris, already drying under the sun. But it is not this pile that sends the smoke into the sky.
- Pile of Farm Debris that Sikiru Lawal hopes to burn later
In four other spots on the farmland, heaps of dried debris are ablaze, their flickering flames steadily reducing the biomass to ashes. Lawal watches on, convinced that the ash will feed his soil to yield a promising harvest. He explains that this is how he begins every planting season.
- Four other spots of where bush is being burnt on Lawal’s farmland
“I will firstly clear the entire weeds so that when I want to till, it will not disturb the crop when it is about to grow,” he says. “When I am done, I will gather them together in a spot and allow it to dry. Then some days later, I will put fire to it to burn it.”
An Entrenched Practice
Across Africa, bush burning remains a widely accepted agricultural practice despite growing evidence of its harmful environmental and public health impacts. Many rural farmers like Lawal believe burning enriches the soil.
“If I burn it like this, and rain falls, it is fertilizer,” Lawal explains, using his cutlass to lift the ash covering a burnt spot. “If someone spreads vegetable seeds on such an area of farmland, fast fast, it will sprout,” he says confidently.
Statistics reveal the dangerous prevalence of this practice. As of March 2025, Nigeria had reported 10,422 fire alerts, far exceeding figures from previous years. The widespread burning contributes significantly to the country’s deforestation rate, which is the highest in the world, with approximately 3.7% of forests lost annually.
According to a survey conducted by Self Help Africa and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in Benue State, nearly 70% of farmers disposed of agricultural residues by burning.
The practice, however, is not limited to agricultural residue disposal. In many parts of Africa, bush burning is employed for hunting, charcoal production, and by pastoralists to stimulate the early growth of dormant grass buds.
Long-Term Agricultural Consequences
Research contradicts farmers’ beliefs about the benefits of bush burning. A report by FAO revealed that while bush burning stimulates seed germination interim, overtime, it reduces soil fertility, leading to compacted and degraded topsoil. The resulting loss of organic matter means decreased crop yields and increased reliance on expensive fertilizers.
“Fallow lands and bush are burned before cultivation. This provides a rapid supply of Potassium to stimulate seed germination. However, the associated loss of nutrients, organic matter and soil biological activity has severe long-term consequences,” the report says.
- A expanse of Farmland laid bare from bush burning
Health and Climate Consequences
Beyond agricultural concerns, bush burning also poses significant environmental and health risks. Black carbon emissions from open fires contribute to air pollution and climate change, exacerbating global warming and disrupting rainfall patterns.
Mohammad Zakariyya, Assistant Director of African Climate Reporters in West Africa, confirms that: “Smoke has a range of health effects from eye and respiratory tract irritation to serious disorders like asthma, cancer, and even premature death. The fine particles in smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs, worsening existing heart and lung conditions.”
In Benue State, where bush burning from agriculture is rampant, studies have linked air pollution from smoke to health issues such as allergic asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and visual impairments.
Awareness Gap
When asked about the long-term consequences of bush burning, Lawal is unsure. Although he acknowledges that his soil’s fertility has reduced over the years, he does not link it to the burning practice. “The cassava I planted over there, it should have sprung up by now, but it has not yet,” he admits.
Experts believe that a significant reason for the persistence of bush burning is a lack of awareness. Many smallholder farmers are uneducated with little access to modern agricultural knowledge. Joy Aderele, manager of Self Help Africa with CCAC, notes, “At the end of the day, the main reason farmers burn is because they don’t know any better.”
While regulations exist to curb bush burning, enforcement remains weak. The National Environmental (Control of Bush, Forest Fire and Open Burning) Regulations of 2011, derived from the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act of 2007, prohibit open burning without a permit. Violators can be fined up to ₦50,000 or imprisoned for up to three months.
Experts advocate for increased farmer education on the dangers of bush burning and the benefits of sustainable alternatives. Practices such as mulching, composting, and converting crop residues into fuel briquettes or animal feed can significantly reduce environmental harm while boosting productivity.