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 and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. In January 2014 Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.

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

Irrigated land: 2,932 km² (2004)

Total renewable water resources: 286.2 km³ (2011)

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

Population: 181,562,056
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: 2.45% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 33
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 43.01%
15-24 years: 19.38%
25-54 years: 30.56%
55-64 years: 3.94%
65 years and over: 3.11% (2015 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: 18.2 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 18.3 years

Population growth rate: 2.45% (2015 est.)
Rank: 33

Birth rate: 37.64 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 12

Death rate: 12.9 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 19

Net migration rate: -0.22 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 121

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

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

Infant mortality rate
Total: 72.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 77.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 67.55 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 10

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.02 years
Male: 52 years
Female: 54.1 years
Rank: 213

Total fertility rate: 5.19 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 13

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 15.1% (2013)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.41 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 0.53 beds/1000 population (2004)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.17% (2013 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 19
People living with hivaids: 3,228,600 (2013 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 3
Deaths: 209,600 (2013 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: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
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

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 31% (2013)
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
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 8 years

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

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

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 2010 (2010)

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

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%

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 - All Progressive Congress 60 PDP 49; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - All Progressive Congress 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: Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Adamu MU'AZU]

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 Adebowale Ibidapo ADEFUYE
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 James F. ENTWISTLE
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

Economy overview: Following an April 2014 statistical 'rebasing' exercise Nigeria has emerged as Africa's largest economy with 2014 GDP estimated at US$479 billion. Oil has been a dominant source of government revenues since the 1970s. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investment in oil and natural gas and Nigeria's oil production contracted in 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless the Nigerian economy has continued to grow at a rapid 6%-8% per annum (pre-rebasing) driven by growth in agriculture telecommunications and services and the medium-term outlook for Nigeria is good assuming oil output stabilizes and oil prices remain strong. Fiscal authorities pursued countercyclical policies in 2011-13 significantly reducing the budget deficit. Monetary policy has also been contractionary. Following the 2008-9 global financial crises the banking sector was effectively recapitalized and regulation enhanced. Despite its strong fundamentals oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply lack of infrastructure delays in the passage of legislative reforms an inefficient property registration system restrictive trade policies an inconsistent regulatory environment a slow and ineffective judicial system unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms insecurity and pervasive corruption. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels - over 62% of Nigeria's 170 million people live in extreme poverty. President JONATHAN has established an economic team that includes experienced and reputable members and has announced plans to increase transparency continue to diversify production and further improve fiscal management. The government is working to develop stronger public-private partnerships for roads agriculture and power.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 21

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 19

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 159

Gross national saving:
Rank: 90

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 72.5%
Government consumption: 8.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 16.4%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 14.9%
Imports of goods and services: -12.1%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20.6%
Industry: 25.6%
Services: 53.8%

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: 4.6% (2014 est.)
Rank: 57

Labor force: 54.97 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 11
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 20%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 171

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

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: $22.77 billion
Expenditures: $34.62 billion
Surplus or deficit: -2% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 85

Taxes and other revenues: 3.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 212

Public debt:
Rank: 149

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 202

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 89

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 29

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 53

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 52

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 50

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 50

Current account balance:
Rank: 22

Exports:
Rank: 43
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95% cocoa rubber (2012 est.)
Partners: India 12.8% US 11.1% Brazil 10% Spain 7.1% Netherlands 7.1% Germany 5.1% France 4.7% UK 4.5% South Africa 4.2% (2013)

Imports:
Rank: 54
Commodities: machinery chemicals transport equipment manufactured goods food and live animals
Partners: China 20.8% US 11.2% India 4.5% (2013)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 48

Debt external:
Rank: 82

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 48

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 55

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 25.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 69
Consumption: 23.11 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 68
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 179
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 181
Installed generating capacity: 5.9 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 72
Generation sources fossil fuels: 67.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 117
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 152
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 32.8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 69
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 210

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2.367 million bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 13
Crude oil exports: 2.341 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 5
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 105
Crude oil proven reserves: 37.14 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 10

Refined petroleum
Products production: 101,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 73
Products consumption: 302,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 42
Products exports: 18,750 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 72
Products imports: 151,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 35

Natural gas
Production: 33.71 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 27
Consumption: 6.916 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 55
Exports: 26.79 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 14
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 108
Proven reserves: 5.118 trillion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 9

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 86.4 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 44

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 180,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 130
Mobile cellular total: 139 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 78
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: 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 base approaching 60 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 (2010)

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: 66.6 million
Users percent of population: 37.6%
Users rank: 9

Military expenditures:
Rank: 108

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

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: 3 (2013)

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: 50

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

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: 1,538,982 (2015)

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