1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 923,770 km2 land area: 910,770 km2 comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
Climate
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Coastline
853 km
Environment
recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
International 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
Irrigated land
8,650 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 4,047 km, 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%
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Benin and Cameroon
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 30 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, 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
People and Society
Birth rate
43.8 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
12.85 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
north: Hausa and Fulani southwest: Yoruba southeast: Ibos non-Africans 27,000 note: Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibos together make up 65% of population
Infant mortality rate
77.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
42.844 million by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15% note: 49% of population of working age (1985)
Languages
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 54.7 years male: 53.54 years female: 55.88 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 51% male: 62% female: 40%
Nationality
noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
Net migration rate
0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
95,060,430 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
3.13% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Total fertility rate
6.43 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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); Vice-President Admiral (Ret.) Augustus AIKHOMU (since 30 August 1990)
Constitution
1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
Digraph
NI
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE chancery: 2201 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 822-1500 consulate general: New York
Executive branch
president, vice-president, cabinet
FAX
[234] (1) 610257 branch office: Abuja consulate general: Kaduna
Flag
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
House of Representatives
last held 4 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (total 577) SDP 310, NRC 267
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
bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
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, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Political parties and leaders
Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Baba Gana KINGIBE, chairman; National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom IKIMI, chairman note: these are the only two political parties, and they were established by the government in 1989
President
first presidential elections since the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for June 1993
Senate
last held 4 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (total 84) SDP 47, NRC 37
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Type
military government since 31 December 1983; plans to turn over power to elected civilians in August 1993
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador William L. SWING embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos telephone: [234] (1) 610097
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 $9 billion; expenditures $10.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Currency
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; 8,300 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
naira (N) per US$1 - 19.661 (December 1992), 17.298 (1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987)
Exports
$12.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: oil 95%, cocoa, rubber partners: EC countries 43%, US 41%
External debt
$33.4 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
passenger and cargo air hub for West Africa facilitates Nigeria's position as a major transit country for heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for West European and North American markets (some of that cocaine is also consumed in Nigeria)
Imports
$7.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials partners: EC countries 70%, US 16%
Industrial production
growth rate 5.5% (1991); 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)
60% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $35 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$300 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
3.6% (1992 est.)
Overview
Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $300 per capita GDP. In 1991-92 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 remain below the level of the early 1980s oil boom.
Unemployment rate
28% (1992 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 76 usable: 63 with permanent-surface runways: 34 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 23
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 oil 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 microwave 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, National Guard, paramilitary Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $172 million, about 1% of GDP (1992)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 21,790,956; fit for military service 12,447,547; reach military age (18) annually 1,297,790 (1993 est.)