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This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Nigeria
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Nigeria Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.
   Geography    Nigeria Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Africa
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
853 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 33.02%
permanent crops: 3.14%
other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
2,820 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
286.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
Total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%)
Per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
   People    Nigeria Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
135,031,164
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 28,726,380/female 28,301,729)
15-64 years: 54.7% (male 37,543,678/female 36,277,038)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,987,521/female 2,194,818) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18.7 years
male: 18.8 years
female: 18.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.379% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
40.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.68 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.015 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.035 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.906 male(s)/female
total population: 1.022 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 95.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 88.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 47.44 years
male: 46.83 years
female: 48.07 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.45 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.6 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
310,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
   Government    Nigeria Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
federal republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Abuja
geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
1 October 1960 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
new constitution adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007)
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA elected president; percent of vote - official results not yet posted as of September 2007
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - official results not yet posted as of May 2007; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - official results not yet posted as of May 2007
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Accord Party [Ikra Aliyu BILBIS]; Action Congress or AC [Bisi AKANDE]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic People's Party or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Ahmadu ALI]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [disputed leadership]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Mallam Selah JAMBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Professor (vacant)
chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Ambassador Robin SANDERS
embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
   Economy    Nigeria Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt - relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. GDP rose strongly in 2007, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices. Newly-elected President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his successor and the proposed budget for 2008 reflects the administrations emphasis on infrastructure improvements.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$294.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$90.52 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 17.6%
industry: 53.1%
services: 29.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
50.13 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 70%
industry: 10%
services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.8% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
60% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 33.2% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
43.7 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.5% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
24.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $20.5 billion
expenditures: $21.82 billion (2007 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22.53 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.88 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.63 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
300,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.203 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
167,900 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
35.88 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21.48 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.936 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11.55 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.015 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$14.61 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$61.81 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 48.9%, Spain 8%, Brazil 7.3%, France 4.2% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$30.35 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
China 10.7%, US 8.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, UK 5.8%, France 5.6%, Brazil 5.1%, Germany 4.5% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$6.437 billion (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$50.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5.815 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$31.66 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$12.44 billion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$32.82 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
naira (NGN)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
nairas per US dollar - 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Nigeria Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.688 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
32.322 million (2006)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth of this service with fixed-line subscribership nearly tripling over the past five years; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple service providers operate nationally; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity reached 25 per 100 persons in 2006
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.ng
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,968 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8 million (2006)
   Transportation    Nigeria Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
70 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 19 (2007)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125 km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 3,505 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 194,394 km
paved: 60,068 km
unpaved: 134,326 km (1999)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2007)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 55 ships (1000 GRT or over) 284,400 GRT/483,316 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 8, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 37, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 23 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 2, Panama 6, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
   Military    Nigeria Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 26,802,678
females age 18-49: 25,668,446 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 15,052,914
females age 18-49: 13,860,806 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,353,180
females age 18-49: 1,329,267 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.5% (2006)
   Transnational Issues    Nigeria Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 6,051 (Liberia)
IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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