2008 Edition

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 government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

Area

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

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; 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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%) per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)

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

Irrigated land

2,820 sq km (2003)

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: 33.02% permanent crops: 3.14% other: 63.84% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; flooding

Natural resources

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

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

286.2 cu km (2003)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.7% (male 31,171,949/female 29,806,204) 15-64 years: 55.3% (male 41,243,003/female 39,611,565) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,152,318/female 2,270,267) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

37.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

16.88 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

0.9% of GDP (1991)

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%

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.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 95.74 deaths/1,000 live births male: 101.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 46.53 years male: 45.78 years female: 47.32 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Median age

total: 18.9 years male: 18.8 years female: 19 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

146,255,312 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.025% (2008 est.)

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 7 years (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.01 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

Capital

name: Abuja geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

new constitution adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999

Country name

conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Robin SANDERS embassy: 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja mailing address: P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja telephone: [234] (9) 461-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Oluwole ROTIMI chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400

Executive branch

chief of state: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

FAX

[1] (202) 775-1385 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York

[234] (9) 461-4036

Flag description

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

Government type

federal republic

Independence

1 October 1960 (from UK)

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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of the 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) elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%, other 8.7%; 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%, UNPP 2.8%, NPD 1.9%, APGA 1.6%, PRP 0.8%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6, UNPP 2, APGA 2, NPD 1, PRP 1, vacant 1

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Accord Party [Ikra Aliyu BILBIS]; Action Congress or AC [Hassan ZUMI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic People's Party or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; 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 [vacant]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Clement EBRI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Mallam Selah JAMBO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian Medical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $19.43 billion expenditures: $20.36 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

9.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

16.94% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

naira (NGN)

Currency code

NGN

Current account balance

$2.514 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$8.007 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

43.7 (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$6.437 billion (2005)

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 80% 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 2007, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices. Newly-elected President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor and the proposed budget for 2008 reflects the administrations emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.

Electricity - consumption

15.85 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

22.11 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003)

Exports

$61.79 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber

Exports - partners

US 51.6%, Brazil 8.9%, Spain 7.7% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 17.7% industry: 52.6% services: 29.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.4% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$166.8 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$296.1 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 33.2% (2003)

Imports

$38.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 10.6%, Netherlands 7.9%, US 7.8%, South Korea 6.6%, UK 5.7%, France 4.3%, Brazil 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2007 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)

5.4% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

50.13 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$32.82 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

12.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

21.2 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production

34.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.21 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

312,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

2.473 million bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

154,300 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

2.352 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

36.22 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

70% (2007 est.)

Public debt

14.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$51.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$12.63 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$33.64 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$16.15 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$21.72 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$19.07 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

4.9% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.ng

Internet hosts

1,048 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

11 (2000)

Internet users

10 million (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)

Radios

23.5 million (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple service providers operate nationally; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 30 per 100 persons in 2007 international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.58 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

40.395 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)

Televisions

6.9 million (1997)

Airports

70 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 36 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 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Heliports

2 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 68 by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 12, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 46, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 3 (Japan 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cook Islands 1, Georgia 1, Italy 1, Liberia 2, Panama 10, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, unknown 3) (2008)

Pipelines

condensate 124 km; gas 3,071 km; liquid petroleum gas 156 km; oil 4,347 km; refined products 3,949 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos

Railways

total: 3,505 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)

Roadways

total: 193,200 km paved: 28,980 km unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)

Transportation - note

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen

Waterways

8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2007)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 31,929,204 females age 16-49: 30,638,979 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 18,556,755 females age 16-49: 17,288,225 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 1,663,025 female: 1,585,224 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Nigerian Armed Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force (2008)

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

IDPs

undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)

Illicit drugs

a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven 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 18 December, 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 5,778 (Liberia)