Map of Nigeria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Nigeria has been ruled by the military since 1983.


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Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 923,770 km²
Land: 910,770 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: total 4,047 km, Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 30 nm

Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 31%
Permanent crops: 3%
Meadows and pastures: 23%
Forest and woodland: 15%
Other: 28%

Irrigated land: 8,650 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 101,232,251 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 3.16% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerian(s)
Adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups
North: Hausa and Fulani
Southwest: Yoruba
Southeast: Ibos non-Africans 27,000
Note: Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibos together make up 65% of population

Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (female 22,643,026; male 22,850,322)
15-64 years: 52% (female 25,842,286; male 26,978,906)
65 years and over: 3% (female 1,438,392; male 1,479,319) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.16% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 43.26 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 12.01 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.35 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities
Current issues natural hazards: periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 72.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.98 years
Male: 54.69 years
Female: 57.3 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.31 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 51%
Male: 62%
Female: 40%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Conventional short form: Nigeria

Government type: military government since 31 December 1983; plans to institute a constitutional conference to prepare for a new transition to civilian rule after plans for a transition in 1993 were negated by General BABANGIDA

Capital: Abuja
Note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja

Administrative divisions: 30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Constitution: 1979 constitution still in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented

Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces and Defense Minister Gen. Sani ABACHA (since 17 November 1993); Vice-Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council Oladipo DIYA (since 17 November 1993)
Cabinet: Federal Executive Council

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
Senate: suspended after coup of 17 November 1993
House of Representatives: suspended after coup of 17 November 1993

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE
In the us chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-8,400
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Walter C. CARRINGTON
From the us embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
From the us telephone: [234] (1) 261-0097
From the us FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257
From the us branch office: Abuja
From the us consulates general: Kaduna

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers show no sign of wanting to restore democratic civilian rule in the near future and appear divided on how to redress fundamental economic imbalances that cause troublesome inflation and the steady depreciation of the naira. The government's domestic and international arrears continue to limit economic growth - even in the oil sector - and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief. The inefficient (largely subsistence) agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -0.8% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,250 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 35% of GDP and half of labor force; cash crops - cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops - corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited

Industries: crude oil and mining - coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries - palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries - textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (1991; accounts for 43% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 42.844 million
By occupation agriculture: 54%
By occupation industry commerce and services: 19%
By occupation government: 15%

Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $9 billion
Expenditures: $10.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $11.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: oil 95%, cocoa, rubber
Partners: US 54%, EC 23%

Imports: $8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, food and animals
Partners: EC 64%, US 10%, Japan 7%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $29.5 billion (1992)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1 - 21.996 (January 1995), 21.996 (1994), 22.065 (1993), 17.298 (1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 4,570,000 kW
Production: 11.3 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 109 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic
International: 3 INTELSAT earth stations (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 coaxial submarine cable carry international traffic

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $172 million, about 1% of GDP (1992)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 80
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With paved runways under 914 m: 25
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 21

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural gas 500 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks

Merchant marine
Total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 404,064 GRT/661,850 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the International Court of Justice

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: passenger and cargo air hub for West Africa; facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for West European, East Asian, and North American markets