2020 Edition

Background

In ancient and pre-colonial times, the area of present-day Nigeria was occupied by a variety of ethnic groups with different languages and traditions. These included large Islamic kingdoms such as Borno, Kano, and the Sokoto Caliphate dominating the north, the Benin and Oyo Empires that controlled much of modern western Nigeria, and more decentralized political entities and city states in the south and southeast. In 1914, the British amalgamated their separately administered northern and southern territories into a Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Nigeria achieved independence from Britain in 1960 and transitioned to a federal republic with three constituent states in 1963 under President Nnamdi AZIKIWE. This structure served to enflame regional and ethnic tension, contributing to a bloody coup led by predominately southeastern military officers in 1966 and a countercoup later that year masterminded by northern officers. In the aftermath of this tension, the governor of Nigeria’s Eastern Region, centered on the southeast, declared the region independent as the Republic of Biafra. The ensuring civil war (1967-1970), resulted in more than a million deaths, many from starvation. While the war forged a stronger Nigerian state and national identity, it contributed to long-lasting mistrust of the southeast’s predominantly Igbo population. Wartime military leader Yakubu GOWON ruled until a bloodless coup by frustrated junior officers in 1975. This generation of officers, including Olusegun OBASANJO, Ibrahim BABANGIDA, and Muhammadu BUHARI, who would all later serve as president, continue to exert significant influence in Nigeria to the present day. Military rule predominated until the first durable transition to civilian government and adoption of a new constitution in 1999. The elections of 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. National and state elections in 2011 and 2015 were generally regarded as credible. The 2015 election was also heralded for the fact that the then-umbrella opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, defeated the long-ruling (since 1999) People's Democratic Party and assumed the presidency, marking the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. Presidential and legislative elections in 2019 and 2023 were deemed broadly free and fair despite voting irregularities, intimidation, and violence. The government of Africa's most populous nation continues to face the daunting task of institutionalizing democracy and reforming a petroleum-based economy whose revenues have been squandered through decades of corruption and mismanagement. In addition, Nigeria faces increasing violence from Islamic terrorism, largely in the northeast, large scale criminal banditry, secessionist violence in the southeast, and competition over land and resources nationwide.

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

highest point

Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

380 m

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography - note

the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rainforests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea

Irrigated land

2,188 sq km (2017)

Land boundaries

border countries

Benin 809 km; Cameroon 1,975 km; Chad 85 km; Niger 1,608 km

total

4,477 km

Land use

agricultural land

76.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 40.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 8.1% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.6% (2023 est.)

forest

19.1% (2023 est.)

other

4.7% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year

Major rivers (by length in km)

Niger river mouth (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Niger) - 4,200 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

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, as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

40.4% (male 48,856,606/female 46,770,810)

15-64 years

56.2% (male 66,897,900/female 66,187,584)

65 years and over

3.4% (2024 est.) (male 3,759,943/female 4,274,287)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

3.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

33.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.6% (2021)

women married by age 15

12.3% (2021)

women married by age 18

30.3% (2021)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

24.4% (2021 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.6% (2018 est.)

Death rate

9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.9 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

17 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

78 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

72.2 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 63.5% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 79.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 93.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 36.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 20.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.3% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

3% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Kanuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.9% (2018 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.23 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.1% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

4.3% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

48.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

58.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

65.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

64.2 years

male

60.4 years

total population

62.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

53.3% (2021 est.)

male

73.7% (2021 est.)

total population

63.2% (2021 est.)

Major urban areas - population

15.946 million Lagos, 4.348 million Kano, 3.875 million Ibadan, 3.840 million ABUJA (capital), 3.480 million Port Harcourt, 1.905 million Benin City (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

993 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

19.6 years

male

19.1 years

total

19.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.4 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Nigerian

noun

Nigerian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.9% (2016)

Physician density

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

120,832,508

male

123,511,557

total

244,344,065 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.39% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 62.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 81.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 58.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 37.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 18.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.88 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.3% (2025 est.)

male

4.8% (2025 est.)

total

2.6% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

54.3% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

the newly built city of Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital city in 1991; Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja, that was named after Abu JA ("Abu the Red") in 1828

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

amendment process

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 vote by the proposing National Assembly house and approval by the Houses of Assembly in two thirds of the states

history

several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999

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; the name of the river probably comes from the local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen (big rivers)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Richard MILLS, Jr. (since 25 July 2024)

consulate(s) general

Lagos

email address and website

AbujaACS@state.gov https://ng.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja

FAX

[234] (9) 461-4036

mailing address

8320 Abuja Place, Washington DC 20521-8320

telephone

[234] (9) 461-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Samson Sunday ITEGBOJE (since 22 October 2024)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, New York

email address and website

info@nigeriaembassyusa.org https://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 362-6541

telephone

[1] (202) 800-7201 (ext. 100)

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)

election results

2023: Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU elected president; percent of vote - Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (APC) 36.6%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 29.1%, Peter OBI (LP) 25.4%, Rabiu KWANKWASO (NNPP) 6.4%, other 2.5% 2019: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 53%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 39%, other 8%

election/appointment process

president directly elected by qualified-majority popular vote with 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)

expected date of next election

27 February 2027

head of government

President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)

most recent election date

25 February 2023

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and green meaning: green stands for the country's forests and natural resources, and white 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, ATMIS, 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), LCBC, MIGA, MINURSO, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

National Assembly

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Representatives

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

February 2027

most recent election date

2/25/2023

number of seats

360 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

All Progressives Congress (APC) (180); People's Democratic Party (PDP) (116); Labour Party (LP) (35); New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) (19); Other (10)

percentage of women in chamber

4.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Senate

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

February 2027

most recent election date

2/25/2023

number of seats

109 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

All Progressives Congress (APC) (59); People's Democratic Party (PDP) (36); Labour Party (LP) (8); Other (6)

percentage of women in chamber

3.7%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 2024

lyrics/music

Lillie Jean WILLIAMS/Frances BERDA

title

"Nigeria, We Hail Thee"

National color(s)

green, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Sukur Cultural Landscape; Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

eagle

Political parties

Accord Party or ACC  Africa Democratic Congress or ADC   All Progressives Congress or APC  All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA  Labor Party or LP  New Nigeria People’s Party or NNPP  Peoples Democratic Party or PDP  Young Progressive Party or YPP 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, taro, bananas, vegetables, sorghum, groundnuts (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

0.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

59.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$59.868 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$37.298 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$1.019 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$6.423 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$17.215 billion (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$45.009 billion (2023 est.)

Economic overview

largest African market economy; enormous but mostly lower middle income labor force; major oil exporter; key telecommunications and finance industries; susceptible to global energy price shocks; regional leader in critical infrastructure; primarily agrarian employment

Exchange rates

Currency

nairas (NGN) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

358.811 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

401.152 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

425.979 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

645.194 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1,478.965 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$69.091 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$60.261 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$57.536 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, fertilizers, cocoa beans (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 10%, Spain 9%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, India 6% (2023)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

20.4% (2024 est.)

industry

29.6% (2024 est.)

services

47% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$187.76 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

35.1 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.7% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2018 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$77.049 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$65.423 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$57.73 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, tanks and armored vehicles, wheat, plastics, cars (2023)

Imports - partners

China 26%, Singapore 14%, Belgium 8%, India 6%, USA 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2024 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

18.8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

24.7% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

33.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

113.35 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

40.1% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.239 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.275 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.318 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$5,700 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

11.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$35.564 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$32.035 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$38.612 billion (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.9% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6.5% (2024 est.)

male

3.7% (2024 est.)

total

5.1% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.326 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

17 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

600 metric tons (2023 est.)

production

1.322 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

2.144 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

34.135 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

2.4 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

4.094 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

5.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

27%

electrification - total population

60.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

89%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

77.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

22.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

7.993 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

19.885 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

16.324 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

38.248 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

5.761 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

36.89 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

527,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

1.514 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total

117,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations; 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; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available; transition to digital completed in three states in 2018 (2019)

Internet country code

.ng

Internet users

percent of population

39% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

112,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

71 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

165 million (2024 est.)

Airports

50 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5N

Heliports

15 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 23, oil tanker 128, other 777

total

928 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Antan Oil Terminal, Bonny, Lagos, Pennington Oil Terminal

large

2

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

23

small

1

total ports

28 (2024)

very small

24

Railways

narrow gauge

3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

standard gauge

293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

3,798 km (2014)

Military - note

the Nigerian military is responsible for defending against external aggression, maintaining the country's territorial integrity, securing national borders, participating in international peacekeeping and other security missions, suppressing insurrection, and aiding civil authorities in restoring order, as well as other duties such as providing humanitarian assistance; its primary concerns are internal and maritime security; in the northeast part of the country, the military is conducting operations against the Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa (ISIS-WA) terrorist groups, where it has deployed as many as 70,000 troops at times and terrorist-related violence has killed an estimated 35-40,000 people, mostly civilians, since 2009; in the northwest, the military faces threats from criminal gangs--locally referred to as bandits--and violence associated with long-standing farmer-herder conflicts, as well as BH and ISIS-WA terrorists; the military also continues to protect the oil industry in the Niger Delta region against militants and criminal activity and since 2021, has deployed troops alongside other security forces to quell renewed agitation in the state of Biafra; maritime security concerns include piracy and the protection of natural resources in the Gulf of Guinea  the Nigerian military traces its origins to the Nigeria Regiment of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison Great Britain's West African colonies; the WAFF (the honorary title "Royal" was added later) served in both World Wars; in 1956, the Nigeria Regiment of the Royal WAFF was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces (NMF) and in 1958, the colonial government of Nigeria took over control of the NMF from the British War Office; the Nigerian Armed Forces were established following independence in 1960 (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN): Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy (includes Coast Guard), Nigerian Air Force Ministry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC); Ministry of Police Affairs: Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; estimated 140,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military deployments

180 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA); 200 Gambia (ECOWAS); 150 Guinea-Bissau (ECOWAS) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists primarily of imported weapons systems from a range of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Korea, Türkiye, and the US; Nigeria is developing a defense-industry capacity, including small arms, light armored personnel vehicles, and small-scale naval production (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.6% of GDP (2024)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

3,709,022 (2024 est.)

refugees

127,131 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

2003 - first remote sensing (RS) microsatellite (NigeriaSat-1) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia 2007 - first communications satellite (NigSatCom-1) built and launched by China (failed in orbit, 2008) 2011 - first domestically built remote sensing (RS) satellite (NigeriaSat-X) launched by Russia 2019 - inaugurated a geospatial data analysis center 2022 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration 2023 - first military reconnaissance RS satellite (DelSat-1) launched by China

Space agency/agencies

National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA; established 1999); Defense Space Administration (DSA; established 2014) (2025)

Space program overview

has a national space program that focuses on acquiring satellites for agricultural and environmental applications, meteorology, mining and disaster monitoring, security, and socio-economic development; designs, builds (mostly with foreign assistance), and operates satellites; processes overhead imagery data for analysis and sharing; developing additional capabilities in satellite and satellite payload production, including remote sensing technologies; has a sounding rocket program for researching rockets and rocket propulsion, with goal of launching domestically produced satellites into space from a Nigerian spaceport by 2030; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya, Mongolia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the US, and Vietnam; has a government-owned satellite company and a small commercial aerospace sector (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa; Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (Ansaru)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.962 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

39.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

72.425 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

114.397 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; water, air, and soil pollution from oil spills

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Tropical Timber 2006

Methane emissions

agriculture

1,991.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

2,794.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

362.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

729.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

56 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

286.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

5.51 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

1.965 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

27.615 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

4.7% (2022 est.)