Nigeria would be among the nine countries that could suffer severe devastation if asteroid 2024 YR4 touches down on earth in 2032, scientists have warned.

This follows the activation of the Planetary Security Protocol by the United Nations due to the possibility of the asteroid impacting earth in December 2032.

Scientists listed several countries that could potentially be impacted if the asteroid lands on solid ground, including three African countries: Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are also among the countries that may be impacted by the fall of the planetary object on solid ground.

The YR4 asteroid is estimated to be between 40 and 90 metres in diameter by the Near Earth Object Coordination Center of the European Space Agency (ESA), which is capable of wiping out a city about the size of New York.

Astrophysicist González Peinado said, “In the event that it finally impacts, it is most likely to fall into the ocean”, but that doesn’t make the impact less significant as it could cause waves of tsunamis.

Meanwhile, organisations such as the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) of the United Nations, NASA, and ESA are constantly monitoring the movement of the asteroid.