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. After independence in 1960 politics were marked by coups and mostly military rule until the death of a military head of state in 1998 allowed for a political transition. In 1999 a new constitution was adopted and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of institutionalizing democracy and reforming a petroleum-based economy whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement. 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 and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. The 2015 election is considered the most well run in Nigeria since the return to civilian rule with the umbrella opposition party the All Progressives Congress defeating the long-ruling People's Democratic Party that had governed since 1999.


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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
Rank: 32
Comparative: about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,477 km
Border countries: (4) Benin 809 km; Cameroon 1975 km; Chad 85 km; Niger 1608 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
Mean elevation: 380 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m: highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 78%
Forest: 9.5%
Other: 12.5%

Irrigated land: 2,930 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; flooding

Geography
Note: the Niger River 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: 186,053,386
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
Rank: 8
Growth rate: 2.44% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 26
Below poverty line: 70% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerian
Adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups: Nigeria Africa's most populous country is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the most populous and politically influential are: Hausa and the 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: 42.79%
15-24 years: 19.48%
25-54 years: 30.65%
55-64 years: 3.96%
65 years and over: 3.12% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 87.7%
Youth dependency ratio: 82.6%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.1%
Potential support ratio: 19.5%

Median age
Total: 18.3 years
Male: 18.2 years
Female: 18.4 years
Rank: 212

Population growth rate: 2.44% (2016 est.)
Rank: 26

Birth rate: 37.3 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 12

Death rate: 12.7 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 18

Net migration rate: -0.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 113

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 47.8% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.66% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: Lagos 13.123 million; Kano 3.587 million; Ibadan 3.16 million; ABUJA (capital) 2.44 million; Port Harcourt 2.343 million; Benin City 1.496 million (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.3
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 71.2 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 66.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 10

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.4 years
Male: 52.4 years
Female: 54.5 years
Rank: 214

Total fertility rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 13

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 15.1% (2013)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.41 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.17% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 20
People living with hivaids: 3,391,600 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 2
Deaths: 174,300 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 1

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria dengue fever and yellow fever
Water contact diseases: leptospirosis and schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.7% (2014)
Rank: 146

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 19.8% (2014)
Rank: 12

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 59.6%
Male: 69.2%
Female: 49.7%

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
Etymology: named for the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean; from a native term 'Ni Gir' meaning 'River Gir'

Government type: federal presidential republic

Capital
Name: Abuja
Geographic coordinates: 9 05 N 7 32 E
Time difference: UTC+1

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 Nasarawa 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: several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999 effective 29 May 1999; amended several times last in 2012 (2016)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Islamic law (in 12 northern states) and traditional law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Nigeria
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Maj. Gen. Muhammadu BUHARI (since 29 May 2015); Vice President Oluyemi 'Yemi' OSINBAJO (since 29 May 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Maj.Gen. Muhammadu BUHARI (since 29 May 2015); Vice President Oluyemi 'Yemi' OSINBAJO (since 29 May 2015)
Cabinet: Federal Executive Council appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by 'qualified' majority popular vote and at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term ; election last held on 28-29 March 2015 (next to be held in February 2019)
Election results: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI 53% Goodluck JONATHAN (PDP) 46% other 1%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives (360 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 28-29 March 2015 ; House of Representatives - last held on 28-29 March 2015 (next to be held in 2019)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 60 PDP 49; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 225 PDP 125 other 10

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 65
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C CD D-8 ECOWAS EITI (compliant country) FAO G-15 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNISFA UNITAR UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Hakeem Toyin BALOGUN (since 27 August 2015)
In the us chancery: 3,519 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 986-8,400
In the us FAX: [1] 362-6,541
In the us consulate general: Atlanta New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires David J. YOUNG (since 2016)
From the us embassy: Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive Central District Area Abuja
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 5,760 Garki Abuja
From the us telephone: [234] 461-4,000
From the us FAX: [234] 461-4,171

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: eagle; national colors: green white

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

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 23

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 114

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 159

Gross national saving:
Rank: 141

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 78%
Government consumption: 6.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 14.8%
Investment in inventories: 0.7%
Exports of goods and services: 10.7%
Imports of goods and services: -10.8%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20.9%
Industry: 20.4%
Services: 58.8%

Agriculture products: cocoa peanuts cotton palm oil corn rice sorghum millet cassava (manioc 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: -2.2% (2015 est.)
Rank: 180

Labor force: 57.27 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 11
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 20%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 177

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 70% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.8%
Highest 10: 38.2%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 47

Budget
Revenues: $18.21 billion
Expenditures: $23.56 billion
Surplus or deficit: -1.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 60

Taxes and other revenues: 3.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 218

Public debt:
Rank: 165

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 205

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 94

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 28

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 53

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 58

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 52

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 52

Current account balance:
Rank: 182

Exports:
Rank: 52
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95% cocoa rubber (2012 est.)
Partners: India 18.2% Netherlands 8.5% Spain 8.2% Brazil 8.2% South Africa 7.8% France 5.2% Japan 4.5% Cote dIvoire 4.2% Ghana 4% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 49
Commodities: machinery chemicals transport equipment manufactured goods food and live animals
Partners: China 25.7% US 6.4% Netherlands 6.1% India 4.3% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 47

Debt external:
Rank: 75

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 46

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 57

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 95,500,000
Access electrification total population: 45%
Access electrification urban areas: 55%
Access electrification rural areas: 37%
Production: 29 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 66
Consumption: 24 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 67
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 178
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 183
Installed generating capacity: 10 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 71
Generation sources fossil fuels: 65% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 120
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 154
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 67
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 88

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.317 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 12
Crude oil exports: 2.231 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 5
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 108
Crude oil proven reserves: 37 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 10

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 110,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 73
Products consumption: 277,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 45
Products exports: 22,480 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 76
Products imports: 187,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 31

Natural gas
Production: 43.84 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 24
Consumption: 18.84 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 44
Exports: 25 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 13
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 110
Proven reserves: 5.111 trillion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 9

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 97 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 43

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 187,155
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 130
Mobile cellular total: 150.83 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 83
Mobile cellular rank: 9

Telephone system
General assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem
Domestic: fixed-line 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 base over 80 per 100 persons
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 (2015)

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; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ng
Users total: 86.138 million
Users percent of population: 47.4%
Users rank: 9

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 108

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 16
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 73
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,223,459
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 22,400,657 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5N (2016)

Airports: 54 (2013)
Rank: 88
With paved runways total: 40
With paved runways over 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 12
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 3
With unpaved runways total: 14
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3

Heliports: 5 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 124 km; gas 4,045 km; liquid petroleum gas 164 km; oil 4,441 km; refined products 3,940 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 3,798 km
Standard gauge: 293 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
Rank: 47

Roadways
Total: 193,200 km
Paved: 28,980 km
Unpaved: 164,220 km
Rank: 27

Waterways: 8,600 km (Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2011)
Rank: 15

Merchant marine
Total: 89
By type: cargo 2 chemical tanker 28 liquefied gas 1 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 56 specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 3
Registered in other countries: 33 (2010)
Rank: 54

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Bonny Inshore Terminal Calabar Lagos
LNG terminal: Bonny Island


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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 phaseout 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; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 2,093,030 (2016)

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-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF