2007 Edition

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, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.3% (male 28,089,017/female 27,665,212) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 36,644,885/female 35,405,915) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,930,007/female 2,124,695) (2006 est.)

Area

land

910,768 sq km

total

923,768 sq km

water

13,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of California

Background

British influence and control over what would become Nigeria 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 president faces the daunting task of reforming 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. Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections set for April 2007 would mark the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. Geography Nigeria

Birth rate

40.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Capital

geographic coordinates

9 12 N, 7 11 E

name

Abuja

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Coastline

853 km

Constitution

new constitution adopted May 1999

Country name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Nigeria

conventional short form

Nigeria

Death rate

16.94 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

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

Ethnic groups

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%

Executive branch

chief of state

President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 8 00 E

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 People Nigeria

Government type

federal republic

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

5.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

310,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

3.6 million (2003 est.)

Independence

1 October 1960 (from UK)

Infant mortality rate

female

90.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

104.05 deaths/1,000 live births

total

97.14 deaths/1,000 live births

Irrigated land

2,820 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km

total

4,047 km

Land use

arable land

33.02%

other

63.84% (2005)

permanent crops

3.14%

Languages

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

Legal system

based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Life expectancy at birth

female

47.66 years (2006 est.)

male

46.52 years

total population

47.08 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

60.6% (2003 est.) Government Nigeria

male

75.7%

total population

68%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Major infectious diseases

aerosolized dust or soil contact disease

one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne disease

malaria

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

18.6 years (2006 est.)

male

18.7 years

total

18.7 years

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)

Nationality

adjective

Nigerian

noun

Nigerian(s)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; flooding

Natural resources

natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land

Net migration rate

0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

131,859,731

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 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.38% (2006 est.)

Religions

Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Terrain

southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Total fertility rate

5.49 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish

Airports

69 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 6

total

36

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m

18 (2006)

Budget

expenditures

$19.05 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$17.86 billion

Currency (code)

naira (NGN)

Currency code

NGN

Current account balance

$12.59 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$6.278 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John CAMPBELL

embassy

7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja

mailing address

P. O. Box 554, Lagos

telephone

[234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Professor George A. OBIOZOR

telephone

[1] (202) 986-8400

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 phase-out 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

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.6 (1996-97)

Economic aid - recipient

$250 million

Economy - overview

Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its 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. In 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. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments-a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. GDP rose strongly in 2006, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices.

Electricity - consumption

17.71 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

20 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

19.06 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

61.9%

hydro

38.1%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Exchange rates

nairas per US dollar - 127.573 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002)

Exports

$59.01 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber

Exports - partners

US 52.5%, Spain 8.2%, Brazil 6.1% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 775-1385

[234] (9) 523-0353

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Nigeria

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green Economy Nigeria

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

17.3%

industry

53.2%

services

29.5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$83.36 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$188.5 billion (2006 est.)

Heliports

1 (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

40.8% (1996-97)

lowest 10%

1.6%

IDPs

undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999, displacement is mostly short-term) (2006)

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; 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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$25.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals

Imports - partners

China 10.4%, US 7.3%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6%, France 5.9%, Brazil 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.6% (2006 est.)

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, small commercial ship construction and repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10.5% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.ng

Internet hosts

1,549 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

11 (2000)

Internet users

5 million (2005) Transportation Nigeria

Investment (gross fixed)

26.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Judicial branch

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)

Labor force

48.99 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

70%

industry

10%

services

20% (1999 est.)

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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

elections

Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held 21 April 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held 21 April 2007)

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

25,668,446 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

26,802,678

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

13,860,806 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

15,052,914

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

1,329,267 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,353,180

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, specialized tanker 2

foreign-owned

4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1)

registered in other countries

28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)

total

52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$737.6 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.8% (2005 est.) Transnational Issues Nigeria

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

9.21 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

12.59 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

21.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

4.984 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Nigerian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN)

Army, Niger Air Force (2006)

Oil - consumption

290,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

2.451 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

36.25 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125 km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Action Congress or AC [Bise Akande]; Advanced Congress of Demorats or ACD [Alex Anielo]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [disputed leadership]; Democratic People's Party or DPP [Jerry Useni]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; 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 [disputed leadership]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population below poverty line

60% (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt Military Nigeria

Public debt

10.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)

Radios

23.5 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)

total

3,505 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

6,051 (Liberia)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$42.97 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

60,068 km

total

194,394 km

unpaved

134,326 km (1999)

Telephone system

domestic

the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth in this service; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006

general assessment

expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts at privatization

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

Telephones - main lines in use

1,223,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

21,571,131 (2006)

Television broadcast stations

3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)

Televisions

6.9 million (1997)

Unemployment rate

5.8% (2006 est.)

Waterways

8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2005)