2018 Edition

Background

British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy. After independence in 1960, politics were marked by coups and mostly military rule, until the death of a military head of state in 1998 allowed for a political transition. In 1999, a new constitution was adopted and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of institutionalizing democracy and reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement. 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 and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. The 2015 election is considered the most well run in Nigeria since the return to civilian rule, with the umbrella opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, defeating the long-ruling People's Democratic Party that had governed since 1999.

Area

land

910,768 sq km

total

923,768 sq km

water

13,000 sq km

Area Comparative

about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Climate

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

Coastline

853 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

mean elevation

380 m

note

2419 highest point: Chappal Waddi

Environment Current Issues

serious overpopulation and rapid urbanization have led to numerous environmental problems; urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; oil pollution - water, air, and soil have suffered serious damage from oil spills

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

Geographic Coordinates

10 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography Note

the Niger River 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

2,930 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (4)

Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1608 km

total

4,477 km

Land Use

arable land: 37.3% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 7.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 33.3% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

78% (2011 est.)

forest

9.5% (2011 est.)

other

12.5% (2011 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

12 nm

Natural Hazards

periodic droughts; flooding

Natural Resources

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

Population Distribution

largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest

Terrain

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

Age Structure

0-14 years

42.45% (male 44,087,799 /female 42,278,742)

15-24 years

19.81% (male 20,452,045 /female 19,861,371)

25-54 years

30.44% (male 31,031,253 /female 30,893,168)

55-64 years

4.04% (male 4,017,658 /female 4,197,739)

65 years and over

3.26% (male 3,138,206 /female 3,494,524) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

35.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

31.5% (2016)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

13.4% (2016/17)

Death Rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Nigeria’s population is projected to grow from more than 186 million people in 2016 to 392 million in 2050, becoming the world’s fourth most populous country. Nigeria’s sustained high population growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future because of population momentum and its high birth rate. Abuja has not successfully implemented family planning programs to reduce and space births because of a lack of political will, government financing, and the availability and affordability of services and products, as well as a cultural preference for large families. Increased educational attainment, especially among women, and improvements in health care are needed to encourage and to better enable parents to opt for smaller families.Nigeria needs to harness the potential of its burgeoning youth population in order to boost economic development, reduce widespread poverty, and channel large numbers of unemployed youth into productive activities and away from ongoing religious and ethnic violence. While most movement of Nigerians is internal, significant emigration regionally and to the West provides an outlet for Nigerians looking for economic opportunities, seeking asylum, and increasingly pursuing higher education. Immigration largely of West Africans continues to be insufficient to offset emigration and the loss of highly skilled workers. Nigeria also is a major source, transit, and destination country for forced labor and sex trafficking.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.1 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

19.4 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

88.2 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

83 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 80.8% of population

rural: 57.3% of population

total: 68.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 19.2% of population

rural: 42.7% of population

total: 31.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

NA

Ethnic Groups

Hausa 27.4%, Igbo (Ibo) 14.1%, Yoruba 13.9%, Fulani 6.3%, Tiv 2.2%, Ibibio 2.2%, Ijaw/Izon 2%, Kanuri/Beriberi 1.7%, Igala 1%, other 28.9%, unspecified .2% (2013 est.)

note

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups

Health Expenditures

3.7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

2.8% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

150,000 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

3.1 million (2017 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

57.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

69.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

63.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

61.1 years (2018 est.)

male

57.5 years (2018 est.)

total population

59.3 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

female

49.7% (2015 est.)

male

69.2% (2015 est.)

total population

59.6% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases

Lassa fever (2016)

animal contact diseases

rabies (2016)

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis (2016)

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016)

water contact diseases

leptospirosis and schistosomiasis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

13.463 million Lagos, 3.82 million Kano, 3.383 million Ibadan, 2.919 million ABUJA (capital), 2.343 million Port Harcourt, 1.628 million Benin City (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

814 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

18.6 years (2018 est.)

male

18.1 years

total

18.3 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

20.3 years (2013 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Nigerian

noun

Nigerian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

8.9% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

203,452,505 (July 2018 est.)

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

Population Growth Rate

2.54% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 51.6%, Roman Catholic 11.2%, other Christian 35.7%, traditionalist .9%, unspecified .5% (2013 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 32.8% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 25.4% of population (2015 est.)

total: 29% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 67.2% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 74.6% of population (2015 est.)

total: 71% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

8 years (2011)

male

9 years (2011)

total

9 years (2011)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.85 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

NA (2016 est.)

male

NA (2016 est.)

total

12.4% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.23% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

50.3% of total population (2018)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

9 05 N, 7 32 E

name

Abuja

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Nigeria

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

15 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses and approval by the Houses of Assembly of at least two-thirds of the states; amendments to constitutional articles on the creation of a new state, fundamental constitutional rights, or constitution-amending procedures requires at least four-fifths majority vote by both houses of the National Assembly and approval by the Houses of Assembly in at least two-thirds of the states; passage of amendments limited to the creation of a new state require at least two-thirds majority by the proposing National Assembly house and approval by the Houses of Assembly in two-thirds of the states; amended several times, last in 2018 (2018)

history

several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999 (2018)

Country Name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Nigeria

conventional short form

Nigeria

etymology

named for the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador W. Stuart SYMINGTON (since 1 December 2016)

consulate(s)

Lagos

embassy

Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja

FAX

[234] (9) 461-4036

mailing address

P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja

telephone

[234] (9) 461-4000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sylvanus Adiewere NSOFOR (since 29 November 2017)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 362-6541

telephone

[1] (202) 516-4277

Executive Branch

cabinet

Federal Executive Council appointed by the president but constrained constitutionally to include at least one member from each of the 36 states

chief of state

President Maj. Gen. (ret.) Muhammadu BUHARI (since 29 May 2015); Vice President Oluyemi "Yemi" OSINBAJO (since 29 May 2015); note - the president is both chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces

election results

Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 54%, Goodluck JONATHAN (PDP) 45%, other 1%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by qualified majority popular vote and at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28-29 March 2015 (next to be held on 16 February 2019)

head of government

President Maj.Gen. (ret.) Muhammadu BUHARI (since 29 May 2015); Vice President Oluyemi "Yemi" OSINBAJO (since 29 May 2015)

Flag Description

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green; the color green represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, white stands for peace and unity

Government Type

federal presidential republic

Independence

1 October 1960 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 70

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral National Assembly consists of:Senate (109 seats - 3 each for the 36 states and 1 for Abuja-Federal Capital Territory; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) House of Representatives (360 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 60, PDP 49; seats by party as of April 2017 - APC 66, PDP 43 House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 225, PDP 125, other 10

elections

Senate - last held on 28-29 March 2015 (next to be held on 16 February 2019) House of Representatives - last held on 28-29 March 2015 (next to be held on 16 February 2019)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

John A. ILECHUKWU, Eme Etim AKPAN, B.A. OGUNNAIKE, Sotu OMOIGUI and P.O. ADERIBIGBE/Benedict Elide ODIASE

name

Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey

note

adopted 1978; lyrics are a mixture of the five top entries in a national contest

National Holiday

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

National Symbol S

eagle; national colors: green, white

Political Parties And Leaders

Accord Party or ACC [Mohammad Lawal MALADO]All Progressives Congress or APC [John Odigie OYEGUN]All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Biodun OGUNBIYI]Labor Party or LP [Alhai Abdulkadir ABDULSALAM]Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Ali Modu SHERIFF]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

expenditures

19.54 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

12.92 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

4.25% (31 December 2010)

6% (31 December 2009)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

17.58% (31 December 2017 est.)

16.87% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

$10.38 billion (2017 est.)

$2.714 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$40.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$31.41 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

48.8 (2013)

50.6 (1997)

Economy Overview

Nigeria is Sub Saharan Africa’s largest economy and relies heavily on oil as its main source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenues. Following the 2008-09 global financial crises, the banking sector was effectively recapitalized and regulation enhanced. Since then, Nigeria’s economic growth has been driven by growth in agriculture, telecommunications, and services. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels; over 62% of Nigeria's over 180 million people still live in extreme poverty.Despite its strong fundamentals, oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investment in oil and natural gas, and Nigeria's oil production had been contracting every year since 2012 until a slight rebound in 2017.President BUHARI, elected in March 2015, has established a cabinet of economic ministers that includes several technocrats, and he has announced plans to increase transparency, diversify the economy away from oil, and improve fiscal management, but has taken a primarily protectionist approach that favors domestic producers at the expense of consumers. President BUHARI ran on an anti-corruption platform, and has made some headway in alleviating corruption, such as implementation of a Treasury Single Account that allows the government to better manage its resources and a more transparent government payroll and personnel system that eliminated duplicate and "ghost workers." The government also is working to develop stronger public-private partnerships for roads, agriculture, and power.Nigeria entered recession in 2016 as a result of lower oil prices and production, exacerbated by militant attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta region, coupled with detrimental economic policies, including foreign exchange restrictions. GDP growth turned positive in 2017 as oil prices recovered and output stabilized.

Exchange Rates

nairas (NGN) per US dollar -

323.5 (2017 est.)

253 (2016 est.)

253 (2015 est.)

192.73 (2014 est.)

158.55 (2013 est.)

Exports

$1.146 billion (2017 est.)

$34.7 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber (2012 est.)

Exports Partners

India 30.6%, US 12.1%, Spain 6.6%, China 5.6%, France 5.5%, Netherlands 4.4%, Indonesia 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

11.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

5.8% (2017 est.)

household consumption

80% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-13.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

21.1% (2016 est.)

industry

22.5% (2016 est.)

services

56.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$376.4 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$5,900 (2017 est.)

$6,100 (2016 est.)

$6,300 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$1.121 trillion (2017 est.)

$1.112 trillion (2016 est.)

$1.13 trillion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

0.8% (2017 est.)

-1.6% (2016 est.)

2.7% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

18.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16% of GDP (2016 est.)

12.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

38.2% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

38.2% (2010 est.)

Imports

$32.67 billion (2017 est.)

$35.24 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

China 21.1%, Belgium 8.7%, US 8.4%, South Korea 7.5%, UK 4.4% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

16.5% (2017 est.)

15.7% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

60.08 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

70%

industry

10%

services

20% (1999 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$53.07 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$63.47 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$80.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

70% (2010 est.)

Public Debt

21.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$38.77 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$25.84 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$36.13 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$37.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$16.93 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$15.65 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$116.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$113.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$84.66 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$88.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$36.13 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$37.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

16.5% (2017 est.)

13.9% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

104 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

2.096 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

1.946 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

37.45 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

37% (2013)

electrification - total population

45% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

55% (2013)

population without electricity

95.5 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

24.72 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

80% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

10.52 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

29.35 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

17.24 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

27.21 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

44.48 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

5.475 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

325,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

2,332 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

223,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

35,010 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total

74,004 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet Country Code

.ng

Internet Users

percent of population

25.7% (July 2016 est.)

total

47,759,904 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership base over 80 per 100 persons (2016)

general assessment

further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem (2016)

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) (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

139,344 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

76 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

144,920,170 (2017 est.)

Airports

54 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

9 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

12 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

6 (2017)

over 3,047 m

10 (2017)

total

40 (2017)

under 914 m

3 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

9 (2013)

total

14 (2013)

under 914 m

3 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

5N (2016)

Heliports

5 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

general cargo 14, oil tanker 83, other 486 (2017)

total

583 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

22,400,657 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

3,223,459 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

73 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

16 (2015)

Pipelines

124 km condensate, 4045 km gas, 164 km liquid petroleum gas, 4441 km oil, 3940 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Bonny Island

major seaport(s)

Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos

Railways

narrow gauge

3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

293 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

3,798 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

28,980 km (2004)

total

193,200 km (2004)

unpaved

164,220 km (2004)

Waterways

8,600 km (Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2011)

Maritime Threats

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 of ships; in 2017, 33 commercial vessels were boarded or attacked compared with 36 attacks in 2016; in 2017, 20 ships were boarded 16 of which were underway, seven were fired upon, and 65 crew members were abducted; nearly half of all reports of vessels being fired upon occur in Nigerian waters; Nigerian pirates have extended the range of their attacks to as far away as Cote d'Ivoire and as far as 170 nm offshore

Military Branches

Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2013)

Military Expenditures

0.43% of GDP (2016)

0.42% of GDP (2015)

0.41% of GDP (2014)

0.47% of GDP (2013)

0.5% of GDP (2012)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

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 phaseout of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issuesthe 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 implementationonly 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 boundarieslocation of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

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

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

IDPs

2,026,602 (northeast Nigeria; Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources) (2018)

refugees (country of origin)

30,024 (Cameroon) (2018)

Terrorist Groups Home Based

Boko Haram

aim(s): replace the Nigerian Government with an Islamic state under strict sharia and, ultimately, establish an Islamic caliphate across Africa; avenge military offenses against the group and destroy any political or social activity associated with Western society; conducts attacks against primarily civilian and regional military targetsarea(s) of operation: headquartered in the northeastnote: since 2009, fighters have killed tens of thousands of Nigerians during hundreds of attacks and disrupted trade and farming in the northeast, causing a risk of famine and displacing millions of people; violently opposes any political or social activity associated with Western society, including voting, attending secular schools, and wearing Western dress (April 2018)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)-West Africa

aim(s): implement ISIS's strict interpretation of Sharia; replace the Nigerian Government with an Islamic statearea(s) of operation: based primarily in the north along the border with Niger, with its largest presence in the northeast and the Lake Chad region; targets primarily regional military installations and civilians (April 2018)