1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 923,770 sq km land: 910,770 sq km water: 13,000 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly more than twice the size of California
Climate
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Coastline
853 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Environment-current issues
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities
Environment-international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
10 00 N, 8 00 E
Irrigated land
9,570 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Land use
arable land: 33% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 44% forests and woodland: 12% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 30 nm
Natural hazards
periodic droughts
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
Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (male 24,871,855; female 24,661,134) 15-64 years: 52% (male 29,420,428; female 28,343,567) 65 years and over: 3% (male 1,627,452; female 1,607,806) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
42.24 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
12.95 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw
Infant mortality rate
70.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 53.55 years male: 52.68 years female: 54.45 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.1% male: 67.3% female: 47.3% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
Net migration rate
0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
110,532,242 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
2.96% (1998 est.)
Religions
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.09 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Federal 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 note: the government has announced the creation of six additional states named Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nassarawa, and Zamfara as part of the process of transition to a civilian government
Constitution
1979 constitution still partially in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented; draft 1995 constitution has not been published; the military government rules by decree
Country name
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
Data code
NI
Executive branch
chief of state: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR (since 9 June 1998); note-the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR (since 9 June 1998); note-the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Executive Council (chaired by the Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council) elections: none; on 9 June 1998, the Provisional Ruling Council appointed Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR as their new Chairman to replace Gen. Sani ABACHA who died in office; Gen. ABUBAKAR immediately pledged a program to return the government to civilian rule as promised by Gen. ABACHA
FAX
[234] (1) 261-0257
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
Government type
military government; Nigeria has been ruled by one military regime after another since 31 December 1983; on 1 October 1995, the present military government announced it will turn power over to democratically elected civilian authorities on 1 October 1998
Independence
1 October 1960 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, C (suspended), CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wakili Hassan ADAMU chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William TWADDELL embassy: 2 Louis Farrakhan Crescent, Lagos mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos telephone: [234] (1) 261-0097
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Provisional Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee Political parties and leaders: political party system, which was suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993, was reestablished by the Provisional Ruling Council on 30 September 1996 with the registration of five of 15 competing political parties; these were the United Nigeria Congress Party or UNCP [Isa MOHAMMED, chairman]; National Center Party of Nigeria or NCPN [Magaji ABDULLAHI, chairman]; Grassroots Democratic Movement or GDM [Alhaji Gambo LAWAN, chairman]; Committee for National Consensus or CNC [Barnabas GEMADE, chairman]; Democratic Party of Nigeria or DPN [Saleh HASSAN, chairman]
Legal system
based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law
Legislative branch
bicameral National Assembly, comprising a 109-member Senate and a 360-member House of Representatives note: the National Assembly was suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993; in October 1995, the government announced a three-year program for transition to civilian rule; elections to the National Assembly took place 25 April 1998 for a term starting 1 October 1998; the election was substantially boycotted by the opposition and the legislature is unlikely to be representative of the electorate
National 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
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forest resources extensively exploited
Budget
revenues: $13.9 billion (1998 est.) expenditures: $13.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1998 est.)
Currency
1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Debt-external
$34 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economy-overview
The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers have failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides 30% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. The government's resistance to initiating greater transparency and accountability in managing the country's multibillion dollar oil earnings continues to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Agricultural production in 1996 suffered from severe shortages of fertilizer, and production of fertilizer fell even further in 1997.
Electricity-capacity
5.881 million kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
152 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
16.21 billion kWh (1996)
Exchange rates
naira (N) per US$1-21.886 (December 1997), 21.886 (1997), 21.895 (1995), 21.996 (1994), 22.065 (1993)
Exports
total value: $15 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber partners: US 40%, EU 21% (1995)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$132.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 39% industry: 31% services: 30% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$1,300 (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
3.3% (1996 est.)
Imports
total value: $8 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery, chemicals, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food and animals partners: EU 50%, US 12%, Japan 7%
Industrial production growth rate
4.1% (1996)
Industries
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
Inflation rate-consumer price index
12% (1997 est.)
Labor force
total: 42.844 million by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%
Radio broadcast stations
AM 35, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios
20 million (1992 est.)
Telephone system
average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic international: satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 1 coaxial submarine cable
Telephones
492,204 (1990 est.)
Television broadcast stations
28
Televisions
3.8 million (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate
28% (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
72 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)
Heliports
1 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 32,105 km paved: 26,005 km (including 2,044 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,100 km (1994 est.) note: many of the roads reported as paved may be graveled; because of poor maintenance, much of the road system is barely useable
Merchant marine
total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 379,210 GRT/643,851 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 20, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural gas 500 km Ports and harbors: Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri
Railways
total: 3,557 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Waterways
8,575 km consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$685 million (1996 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
less than 1% (1996 est.)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 25,228,197 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 14,461,304 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
18 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 1,154,721 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
demarcation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the ICJ with a ruling expected in 1998; maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea
Illicit drugs
facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)