Map of Nigeria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Following nearly 16 years of military rule a new constitution was adopted in 1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government completed. The new president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement and institutionalizing democracy. In addition the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N 8 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 923,768 km²
Land: 910,768 km²
Water: 13,000 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,047 km
Border countries: (4) 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: 12 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 33%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 44%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 9,570 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Geography


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Population
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 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.61% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 45% (2000 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerian
Adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups: Nigeria which is 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%

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43.71% (male 27,842,225; female 27,514,197)
15-64 years: 53.47% (male 34,456,738; female 33,259,194)
65 years and over: 2.82% (male 1,780,862; female 1,782,410) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.61% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 39.69 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 13.91 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 1 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 73.34 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.07 years
Male: 51.07 years
Female: 51.07 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.57 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 5.06% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 2.7 million (1999 est.)
Deaths: 250,000 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.1%
Male: 67.3%
Female: 47.3% (1995 est.)

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: republic transitioning from military to civilian rule

Capital: Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja; most federal government offices have now made the move to Abuja

Administrative divisions: 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia Abuja Federal Capital Territory* Adamawa Akwa Ibom Anambra Bauchi Bayelsa Benue Borno Cross River Delta Ebonyi Edo Ekiti Enugu Gombe Imo Jigawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kebbi Kogi Kwara Lagos Nassarawa Niger Ogun Ondo Osun Oyo Plateau Rivers Sokoto Taraba Yobe Zamfara

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 October (1960)

Constitution: NA 1999 new constitution adopted

Legal system: based on English common law Islamic Shariah law (only in some northern states) and traditional law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Federal Executive Council
Elections: president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 27 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
Election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 62.8%, Olu FALAE (APP-AD) 37.2%

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2003); House of Representatives - last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 58%, APP 23%, AD 19%; seats by party - PDP 67, APP 23, AD 19; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 58%, APP 30%, AD 12%; seats by party - PDP 221, APP 70, AD 69

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges appointed by the Provisional Ruling Council); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)

Political parties and leaders: All People's Party or APP [Alhaji Yusuf ALI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [contested between Yusuf MAMMAN and Alhasi Adamu ABDULKADIR]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Barnabas GEMADE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC ECA ECOWAS FAO G-15 G-19 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO ITU MINURSO MONUC NAM OAU OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIKOM UNITAR UNMEE UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNMOT UNTAET UNU UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jibril AMINU
In the us chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-8,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 775-1385
In the us consulates general: Atlanta and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Howard Franklin JETER
From the us embassy: 8 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
From the us telephone: [234] (1) 261-0050, -0078
From the us fax: [234] (1) 261-0257

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 long hobbled by political instability corruption and poor macroeconomic management is undergoing substantial economic reform under the new civilian administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector which provides 20% of GDP 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The 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. 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 loan from the IMF both contingent on economic reforms. Increases in foreign investment and oil production combined with high world oil prices should push growth over 4% in 2001-02.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $950 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 40%
Industry: 40%
Services: 20% (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: cocoa peanuts palm oil corn rice sorghum millet cassava (tapioca) yams rubber; cattle sheep goats pigs; timber; fish

Industries: 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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 66 million (1999 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 20% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 45% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.6%
Highest 10: 40.8% (1996-97)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $3.4 billion
Expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.5% (2000 est.)

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: $22.2 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95% cocoa rubber
Partners: US 36% India 9% Spain 8% Brazil 6% France 6% (1999)

Imports: $10.7 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery chemicals transport equipment manufactured goods food and live animals
Partners: UK 11% Germany 10% US 9% France 8% China 6% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $32 billion (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: nairas per US dollar - 110.005 (January 2001) 101.697 (2000) 92.338 (1999) 21.886 (1998) 21.886 (1997) 21.884 (1996)


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Electricity
Production: 18.7 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 52.94%
Production by source hydro: 47.06%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 17.372 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 19 million kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 500,000 (2000)
Mobile cellular: 26,700 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made
Domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available
International: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); coaxial submarine cable SAFE (South African Far East)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ng
Service providers isps: 11 (2000)
Users: 100,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $360 million (FY00)
Percent of gdp: 10% (FY00)

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: 70 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 36
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
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: 2 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 34
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 3,557 km
Narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
Standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge
Note: years of neglect of both the rolling stock and the right-of-way have seriously reduced the capacity and utility of the system; a project to restore Nigeria's railways is now underway

Roadways

Waterways
Note: consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks

Merchant marine
Total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 357,372 GRT/636,254 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad the lack of which led to border incidents in the past has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon Chad Niger and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula is currently before the ICJ; tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone dispute with Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon is currently before the ICJ

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs