1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
varies - equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Coastline
853 km
Comparative area
slightly more than twice the size of California
Continental shelf
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Disputes
demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary commission created with Cameroon to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries - has not yet convened
Environment
recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
910,770 km2
Land boundaries
4,047 km total; Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Land use
arable land 31%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 15%; other 28%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
Terrain
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Territorial sea
30 nm
Total area
923,770 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
more than 250 tribal groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast make up 65% of the population; about 27,000 non-Africans
Infant mortality rate
110 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
42,844,000; agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Languages
English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used
Life expectancy at birth
48 years male, 50 years female (1992)
Literacy
51% (male 62%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Nigerian(s); adjective - Nigerian
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation - the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
Population
126,274,589 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992); note - a new population figure of 88.5 million is in the process of being incorporated into revised Census Bureau figures (April 1992)
Religions
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Total fertility rate
6.5 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe
Capital
Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja
Chief of State and Head of Government
President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)
Communists
the pro-Communist underground consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on the government
Constitution
1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 822-1500; there is a Nigerian Consulate General in New York
Executive branch
president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
Independence
1 October 1960 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal
Legal system
based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law
Legislative branch
National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 1983
Long-form name
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Member of
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
National Assembly
first elections since it was dissolved after the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for 4 July 1992
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Political parties and leaders
two political parties established by the government in 1989 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)
President
first presidential elections since the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for late 1992
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
military government since 31 December 1983
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 32% of GDP and half of labor force; inefficient small-scale farming dominates; once a large net exporter of food and now an importer; cash crops - cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops - corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited
Budget
revenues $10 billion; expenditures $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Currency
naira (plural - naira); 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.0 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion
Electricity
4,740,000 kW capacity; 11,280 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
naira (N) per US$1 - 10.226 (February 1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987)
Exports
$13.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: oil 95%, cocoa, rubber partners: EC 51%, US 32%
External debt
$32 billion (December 1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route from southeast and southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US; growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US
Imports
$6.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials partners: EC, US
Industrial production
growth rate 7.2% (1990); accounts for 8.5% of GDP
Industries
crude oil and mining - coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries - palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries - textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
40% (1991)
Overview
Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $250 per capita GDP. In 1991 massive government spending, much of it to help ensure a smooth transition to civilian rule, ballooned the budget deficit and caused inflation and interest rates to rise. The lack of fiscal discipline forced the IMF to declare Nigeria not in compliance with an 18-month standby facility started in January 1991. Lagos has set ambitious targets for expanding oil production capacity and is offering foreign companies more attractive investment incentives. Government efforts to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil exports and to sustain noninflationary growth, however, have fallen short because of inadequate new investment funds and endemic corruption. Living standards continue to deteriorate from the higher level of the early 1980s oil boom.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
76 total, 64 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
57 major transport aircraft
Highways
107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved
Inland waterways
8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Merchant marine
28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,046 GRT/664,949 DWT; includes 17 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 7 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Pipelines
crude oil 2,042 km; natural gas 500 km; petroleum products 3,000 km
Ports
Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
Railroads
3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
Telecommunications
above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress; radio relay and cable routes; broadcast stations - 35 AM, 17 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 20 domestic stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 1% of GDP (1990 est.) \
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 28,778,532; 16,451,582 fit for military service; 1,256,440 reach military age (18) annually