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

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Background: British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country 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. In January 2010 Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.


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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
Rank: 32
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 1690 km; Chad 87 km; Niger 1497 km

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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 iron ore coal limestone niobium lead zinc arable land

Land use
Arable land: 33.02%
Permanent crops: 3.14%
Other: 63.84% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,820 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 286.2 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; flooding

Geography
Note: 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


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Population: 152,217,341
Rank: 8
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Growth rate: 1.966% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 60
Below poverty line: 70% (2007 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerian
Adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups: 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%

Languages: English (official) Hausa Yoruba Igbo (Ibo) Fulani over 500 additional indigenous languages

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.5%
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 42,240,641/female 40,566,672)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,211,840/female 2,343,250) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 19.1 years
Male: 19 years
Female: 19.2 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.966% (2010 est.)
Rank: 60

Birth rate: 36.07 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 29

Death rate: 16.31 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 5

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 127

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 48% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 92.99 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 10
Male: 98.94 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 86.69 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 47.24 years
Rank: 220
Male: 46.46 years
Female: 48.08 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.82 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 29

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 23
People living with hivaids: 2.6 million (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 3
Deaths: 170,000 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 3

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
Water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (1991)
Rank: 183

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 68%
Male: 75.7%
Female: 60.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 8 years (2005)

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: federal republic

Capital
Name: Abuja
Geographic coordinates: 9 05 N 7 32 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (National Day) 1 October (1960)

Constitution: adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999

Legal system: based on English common law Islamic law (in 12 northern states) and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Goodluck JONATHAN ; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; JONATHAN assumed the presidency on 5 May 2010 following the death of President YAR'ADUA he was declared Acting President on 9 February 2010 by the National Assembly during the extended illness of the former president
Head of government: President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010 acting since 9 February 2010)
Cabinet: Federal Executive Council
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 April 2007 (next to be held on 22 January 2011)
Election results: Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA elected president; percent of vote - Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA 69.8% Muhammadu BUHARI 18.7% Atiku ABUBAKAR 7.5% Orji Uzor KALU 1.7% other 2.3%

Legislative branch: 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 on 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held on 21 April 2007 (next to be held on 15 January 2011)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 85 ANPP 16 AC 6 PPA 1 ACCORD 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 65.1% ANPP 21.6% AC 8.8% PPA 0.8% LP 0.8%; seats by party - PDP 263 ANPP 63 AC 30 PPA 3 LP 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges recommended by the National Judicial Council and appointed by the president); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government from a pool of judges recommended by the National Judicial Council)

Political parties and leaders: Accord Party [Augustine MAZIE acting]; Action Congress or AC [Bisi AKANDE]; All Nigeria Peoples Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; Conference of Nigerian Political Parities or CNPP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Vincent OGBULAFOR]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Larry ESIN]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C D-8 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 MONUSCO NAM OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNITAR UNMIL UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Adebowale Ibidapo ADEFUYE
In the us chancery: 3,519 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-8,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 775-1385
In the us consulate general: Atlanta New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS
From the us embassy: 1075 Diplomatic Drive Central District Area Abuja
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 5,760 Garki Abuja
From the us telephone: [234] (9) 461-4,000
From the us fax: [234] (9) 461-4,036

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) white and green; the color green represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country white stands for peace and unity

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Arise Oh Compatriots Nigeria's Call Obey'
Lyricsmusic: John A. ILECHUKWU Eme Etim AKPAN B. A. OGUNNAIKE Sotu OMOIGUI and P. O. ADERIBIGBE/Benedict Elide ODIASE
Note: adopted 1978; the lyrics are a mixture of five of the top entries in a national contest

National heritage


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Economy overview: Oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by political instability corruption inadequate infrastructure and poor macroeconomic management but in 2008 began pursuing economic reforms. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector which provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. 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 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. Since 2008 the government has begun to show the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF such as modernizing the banking system curbing inflation by blocking excessive wage demands and resolving regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. GDP rose strongly in 2007-10 because of increased oil exports and high global crude prices in 2010. President JONATHAN has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth and in August 2010 JONATHAN unveiled a power sector blueprint that includes privatization of the state-run electricity generation and distribution facilities. The government also is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for roads. Nigeria's financial sector was hurt by the global financial and economic crises and the Central Bank governor has taken measures to strengthen that sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 32
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 27

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 182
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 31.9%
Industry: 32.9%
Services: 35.2% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: crude oil coal tin columbite; rubber products wood; hides and skins textiles cement and other construction materials food products footwear chemicals fertilizer printing ceramics steel

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2010 est.)
Rank: 81

Labor force: 48.33 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 11
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 20% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (2007 est.)
Rank: 45

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 70% (2007 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 32.4% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.6 (1997)
Rank: 46

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 11.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 120

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 11.5% (2009 est.)
Rank: 218

Central bank discount rate: 9.75% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 49

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15.48% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 43

Stock of narrow money: $33.61 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 47

Stock of broad money: $72.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 54

Stock of domestic credit: $62.18 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 55

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 49

Current account balance: $22.89 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 14

Exports: $59.32 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 39
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95% cocoa rubber
Partners: US 35.08% India 10.43% Brazil 9.32% Spain 7.19% France 4.65% (2009)

Imports: $29.05 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 55
Commodities: machinery chemicals transport equipment manufactured goods food and live animals
Partners: China 14.89% US 8.88% Netherlands 8.18% South Korea 5.46% UK 4.63% France 4.19% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $44.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 26

Debt external: $10.11 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 88

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $61.23 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 47

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $5.821 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 57

Exchange rates: nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 150.88 (2010) 148.84 (2009) 117.8 (2008) 127.46 (2007) 127.38 (2006)


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Electricity
Production: 21.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 70
Consumption: 19.21 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 69
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 32.82 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 26
Consumption: 12.28 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 45
Exports: 20.55 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 11
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 109
Proven reserves: 5.246 trillion m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 8

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.419 million (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 66
Mobile cellular: 73.099 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 16

Telephone system
General assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem
Domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership reaching 50 per 100 persons in 2009
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) (2009)

Broadcast media: nearly 70 federal-government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal-government-controlled national regional and state radio stations; roughly 40 state-government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations also operate; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ng
Hosts: 1378 (2010)
Hosts rank: 163
Users: 43.989 million (2009)
Users rank: 9

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 101

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 54 (2010)
Rank: 86
With paved runways total: 38
With paved runways over 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 11
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 16
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports: 4 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate 26 km; gas 2,565 km; liquid petroleum gas 97 km; oil 3,424 km; refined products 4,090 km (2009)

Railways
Total: 3,505 km
Rank: 49
Narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 193,200 km
Rank: 26
Paved: 28,980 km
Unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)

Waterways: 8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2009)
Rank: 15

Merchant marine
Total: 98
Rank: 51
By type: cargo 4 chemical tanker 30 liquefied gas 2 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 60 specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 4 (India 1 Spain 1 UK 2)
Registered in other countries: 37 (Bahamas 2 Belize 2 Bermuda 11 Comoros 1 Italy 1 Liberia 4 Malaysia 1 Malta 1 North Korea 1 Panama 7 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 Seychelles 1 unknown 4) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Bonny Inshore Terminal Calabar Lagos


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Disputes international: 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
Refugees: 5,778 (Liberia)
Idps: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)

Illicit drugs: 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-launde