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Facts
about Nigeria
The most
comprehensive online source for facts about Nigeria is the CIA
World Factbook. Here are some details about the FactBook.
The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947
and officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1
October 1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed
operational responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the
National Security Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID)
No. 3, which authorized the National Intelligence Survey
(NIS) program as a peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS
program. Before adequate NIS country sections could be produced,
government agencies had to develop more comprehensive gazetteers
and better maps. The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled
the names; the Department of the Interior produced the
gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.
The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study
the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to
Congress in 1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an
invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of
basic intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always
be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date."
The Factbook was created as an annual summary and
update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified
Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first
unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program
was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map,
and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the
first to be made available to the public with sales through the
US Government Printing Office (GPO). The year 2005 marks the
58th anniversary of the establishment of the Central
Intelligence Agency and the 62nd year of continuous basic
intelligence support to the US Government by The World
Factbook and its two predecessor programs.
There are some facts and figures I disagree with (population
etc) but overall, it's a great source of basic information.
The following is what the CIA
World FactBook has to say about the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Background:
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Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a
new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a
peaceful transition to civilian government was
completed. The 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. Despite some
irregularities, the April 2003 elections marked
the first civilian transfer of power in
Nigeria's history. |
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea,
between Benin and Cameroon
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 N, 8 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly more than twice the size of California
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon
1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 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
|
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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:
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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:
|
arable land: 31.29%
permanent crops: 2.96%
other: 65.75% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
2,330 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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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
|
|
Environment - 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements |
|
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 |
|
Population:
|
128,771,988
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 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 27,466,766/female
27,045,092)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male
35,770,593/female 34,559,414)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male
1,874,157/female 2,055,966) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
|
total: 18.63 years
male: 18.71 years
female: 18.55 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.37% (2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
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40.65 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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17.18 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female
(2005 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
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total: 98.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 105.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.7 deaths/1,000 live births
(2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 46.74 years
male: 46.21 years
female: 47.29 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
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5.53 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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5.4% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3.6 million (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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310,000 (2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial
and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal
meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease:
one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa
fever (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs
10% |
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Languages:
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English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo),
Fulani |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and
write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Federal Republic
of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital
was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja;
most federal government offices have now moved
to Abuja |
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Administrative divisions:
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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
|
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Independence:
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1 October 1960 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day (National Day), 1 October
(1960) |
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Constitution:
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new constitution adopted May 1999 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law
(in 12 northern states), and traditional law
|
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 19 April 2003 (next to
be held NA 2007)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO
elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun
OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP)
31.2%, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%,
other 3.6% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate
(109 seats - 3 from each state plus one from
Abuja, members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms) and House of Representatives
(346 seats, members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April
2003 (next to be held NA 2007); House of
Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next
to be held NA 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of
vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%;
seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP
54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by
party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD 34, other 6; note -
one seat is vacant |
|
Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges appointed by the
President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are
appointed by the federal government on the
advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu
ABDULKADIR]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP
[Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand Alliance
or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE]; National Democratic
Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples
Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu ALI];
Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir
Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP
[Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party
or UNPP [Saleh JAMBO]
|
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force or NDPVF
[Mujahid Dokubo ASARI]; Nigerian Labor Congress
or NLC [Adams OSHIOMOLE] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM,
OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Jibril
Muhammad AMINU
chancery: 3519 International Court NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
consulate(s) general: Atlanta and New
York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Howard
Franklin JETER
embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (9)
523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353 |
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), white, and green |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political
instability, corruption, inadequate
infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic
management, is undertaking some reforms 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 - Nigeria
is Africa's most populous country - and the
country, 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 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 the
last year the government has begun showing the
political will to implement the market-oriented
reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize
the banking system, to curb inflation by
blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve
regional disputes over the distribution of
earnings from the oil industry. During 2003 the
government began deregulating fuel prices,
announced the privatization of the country's
four oil refineries, and instituted the National
Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a
domestically designed and run program modeled on
the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
for fiscal and monetary management. GDP rose
strongly in 2004. |
|
GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $125.7 billion (2004
est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6.2% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2004 est.)
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|
GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 36.3%
industry: 30.5%
services: 33.3% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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18% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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60% (2000 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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50.6 (1996-97) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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16.5% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force:
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55.67 million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20%
(1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $11.78 billion
expenditures: $11.47 billion, including
capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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20% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum,
millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle,
sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish |
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Industries:
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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, small
commercial ship construction and repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.8% (2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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19.85 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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18.43 billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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30 million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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2.356 million bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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275,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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34 billion bbl (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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15.68 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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7.85 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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7.83 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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4.007 trillion cu m (2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$5.228 billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$33.99 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa,
rubber |
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Exports - partners:
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US 48.2%, India 8.1%, Spain 7.4%, Brazil 5.5%,
Japan 4.1% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$17.14 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, chemicals, transport equipment,
manufactured goods, food and live animals |
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Imports - partners:
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US 9.1%, China 8.8%, UK 8.7%, Netherlands 6.3%,
France 6.1%, Germany 5.7%, Italy 4.7% (2004)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$14.71 billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$30.55 billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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IMF $250 million (1998) |
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Currency:
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naira (NGN) |
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Currency code:
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NGN |
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Exchange rates:
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nairas per US dollar - 132.89 (2004), 129.22
(2003), 120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001), 101.7
(2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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853,100 (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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3,149,500 (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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: country code - 234;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic
submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides
connectivity to Europe and Asia |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting
stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002) |
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Internet country code:
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.ng |
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Internet hosts:
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1,142 (2004) |
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Internet users:
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750,000 (2003) |
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Railways:
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total: 3,557 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge
(2003) |
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Highways:
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total: 194,394 km
paved: 60,068 km (including 1,194 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 134,326 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller
rivers and creeks) (2004)
|
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Pipelines:
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condensate 105 km; gas 1,896 km; oil 3,638 km;
refined products 3,626 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele,
Warri |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
327,808 GRT/608,076 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 6,
combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 31,
refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 2, Pakistan 1)
registered in other countries: 25 (2005)
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Airports:
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70 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 18 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2004 est.) |
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Disputes - international:
|
ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria
land and maritime boundary but the parties
formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve
differences bilaterally and have commenced with
demarcation in less-contested sections of the
boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north;
Nigeria initially rejected cession of the
Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed, but has yet to
withdraw its forces while much of the indigenous
population opposes cession; in 2004, some 17,000
Nigerian refugees fleeing ethnic conflicts
between pastoralists and farmers in 2002 still
reside in Cameroon; 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, the unresolved Bakasi
allocation, 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; a joint task force
was established in 2004 that resolved disputes
over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land
boundary with Benin on the Okpara River; only
Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad
Commission's admonition to ratify the
delimitation treaty which also includes Chad and
Niger |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
IDPs: 250,000 (communal violence between
Christians and Muslims since President
OBASANJO's election in 1999) (2004) |
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Illicit drugs:
|
a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended
for European, East Asian, and North American
markets; safehaven for Nigerian narcotraffickers
operating worldwide; major money-laundering
center; massive corruption and criminal
activity; remains on Financial Action Task Force
Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List
for continued failure to address deficiencies in
money-laundering control regime |
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