2023 Edition

Background

In ancient and pre-colonial times, the area of present-day Nigeria was occupied by a great diversity 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 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, continue to exert significant influence in Nigeria to the present day. Military rule predominated until the first durable transition to civilian government in 1999. The general 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 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 focused in the northwest, 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 rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea

Irrigated land

2,930 sq km (2012)

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

78% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 37.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.)

forest

9.5% (2018 est.)

other

12.5% (2018 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 kmnote - 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 kmnote – [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

40.69% (male 47,978,838/female 45,940,446)

15-64 years

55.95% (male 64,923,147/female 64,241,948)

65 years and over

3.36% (2023 est.) (male 3,635,334/female 4,123,030)

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

34 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.6% (2021 est.)

note

note: due to prolonged insecurity concerns, some parts of states, including Borno state, were not sampled

women married by age 15

12.3%

women married by age 18

30.3%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.4% (2019/20)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

16.6% (2018)

Current health expenditure

3.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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

5.5

potential support ratio

18 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

86

youth dependency ratio

80.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 68.8% of population

improved: total

total: 82.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 31.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 17.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.7% of population

Education expenditures

0.5% of GDP (2013)

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.)

note

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

Gross reproduction rate

2.22 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

49.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

60.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

55.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

63.8 years

male

59.9 years

total population

61.8 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

52.7% (2018)

male

71.3%

total population

62%

Major infectious diseases

aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases

Lassa fever

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

note 1: on 4 May 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Travel Health Notice for a Yellow Fever outbreak in Nigeria; a large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in Nigeria began in September 2017; the outbreak is now spread throughout the country with the Nigerian Ministry of Health reporting cases of the disease in multiple states (Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, and Enugu); the CDC recommends travelers going to Nigeria should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should take steps to prevent mosquito bites while there; those never vaccinated against yellow fever should avoid travel to Nigeria during the outbreak (see attached map)note 2: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Nigeria is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccinenote 3: on 20 September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated a Travel Health Alert for a diphtheria outbreak in several states in Nigeria; vaccination against diphtheria is essential to protect against disease; if you are traveling to an affected area, you should be up to date with your diphtheria vaccines; before travel, discuss the need for a booster dose with your healthcare professional; diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria that make a toxin from which people get very sick; diphtheria bacteria spread from person to person through respiratory droplets like from coughing or sneezing; people can also get sick from touching open sores or ulcers of people sick with diphtheria (see attached map)

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

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

1,047 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

19.4 years

male

18.9 years

total

19.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.4 years (2018 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

adjective

Nigerian

noun

Nigerian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.9% (2016)

Physicians density

0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

230,842,743 (2023 est.)

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

Population growth rate

2.53% (2023 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 41.4% of population

improved: total

total: 62.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 81.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 58.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 37.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 18.4% of population

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 (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.5% (2020 est.)

male

6.9% (2020 est.)

total

3.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.57 children born/woman (2023 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

Abuja is a planned capital city, it replaced Lagos in 1991; situated in the center of the country, Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja

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 vote 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

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; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David GREENE (since 31 March 2023)

consulate(s) general

Lagos

email address and website

AbujaACS@state.govhttps://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 Uzoma Elizabeth EMENIKE (since 7 July 2021)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, New York

email address and website

info@nigeriaembassyusa.orghttps://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 constrained constitutionally to include at least one member from each of the 36 states

chief of state

President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023); Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023); note - the president is both chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces

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%  

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 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 27 February 2027)

head of government

President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023); Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023)

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, 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 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 statutory, 258 current; 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 59, PDP 36, LP 8, NNPP 2, SDP 2, YPP 1, APGA 1; composition - men 106, women 3, percent of women 2.75%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 178, PDP 114, LP 35, NNPP 19, APGA 5, other 7, vacant 2; composition - men 344, women 14, percent of women 3.8%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 3.6%  

elections

Senate - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027)House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027)  

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

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

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; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Accord Party or ACC [Mohammad Lawal MALADO]Africa Democratic Congress or ADC [Ralph Okey NWOSU] All Progressives Congress or APC [Abdullahi ADAMU]All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor Ike OYE]Labor Party or LP [Julius ABURE]Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Iyourchia AYU]Young Progressive Party or YPP [Bishop AMAKIRI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, vegetables, sorghum, groundnuts, fruit, sweet potatoes

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

59% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$59.868 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$37.298 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2020)

Moody's rating

B2 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$13.685 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$15.986 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.849 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$22.755 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$26.847 billion (2019 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 2016

253.492 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

305.79 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

306.084 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

306.921 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

358.811 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$69.927 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$39.937 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$50.856 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, scrap vessels, cocoa beans, refined petroleum (2021)

Exports - partners

India 16%, Spain 12%, United States 6%, France 6%, China 5% (2021)

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)

$475.062 billion (2019 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%

38.2% (2010 est.)

lowest 10%

1.8%

Imports

Imports 2019

$100.82 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$72.178 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$66.107 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, wheat, cars, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, telephones (2021)

Imports - partners

China 36%, India 8%, Netherlands 7%, United States 7%, Belgium 4% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.47% (2021 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) 2019

11.4% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

13.25% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

16.95% (2021 est.)

Labor force

65.116 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

40.1% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

21.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.032 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.014 trillion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.05 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.21% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-1.79% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.65% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$5,100 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$4,900 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2018

$42.839 billion (31 December 2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$38.336 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$36.73 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

8.53% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

9.71% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

9.79% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

19.4% NA

male

19.8% NA

total

19.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

231,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

36.856 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

67.406 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

104.494 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

85,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

12,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

77,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

44,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

344 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

24,611,480,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

11.691 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.713 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

26.3% (2021)

electrification - total population

59.6% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

89.2% (2021)

population without electricity

66 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

78.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

21.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

8.466 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

18,787,602,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

27,509,177,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

46,296,835,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

5,760,883,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

1,889,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

36.89 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

483,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

1,646,900 bbl/day (2021 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

0.03 (2020 est.)

total

65,313 (2020 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; digital broadcasting migration process completed in three states in 2018 (2019)

Internet country code

.ng

Internet users

percent of population

55% (2021 est.)

total

115.5 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is 91 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

one of the larger telecom markets in Africa subject to sporadic access to electricity and vandalism of infrastructure; most Internet connections are via mobile networks; market competition with affordable access; LTE technologies available but GSM is dominant; mobile penetration high due to use of multiple SIM cards and phones; government committed to expanding broadband penetration; operators to deploy fiber optic cable in six geopolitical zones and Lagos; operators invested in base stations to deplete network congestion; submarine cable break in 2020 slowed speeds and interrupted connectivity; Nigeria concluded its first 5G spectrum auction in 2021 and granted licenses to two firms; construction of 5G infrastructure has not yet been completed (2022)

international

country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, NCSCS,  MainOne, Glo-1 & 2, ACE, and Equiano fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

106,385 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

195,128,265 (2021 est.)

Airports

54 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

8

joint use (civil-military) airports

3

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

29

total

40

Airports - with unpaved runways

14

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5N

Heliports

5 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 16, oil tanker 111, other 705

total

832 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

19.42 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

8,169,192 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

104

number of registered air carriers

13 (2020)

Pipelines

124 km condensate, 4,045 km gas, 164 km liquid petroleum gas, 4,441 km oil, 3,940 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Bonny Island

major seaport(s)

Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos

oil terminal(s)

Bonny Terminal, Brass Terminal, Escravos Terminal, Forcados Terminal, Pennington Terminal, Qua Iboe Terminal

Railways

narrow gauge

3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

note

note: as of the end of 2018, there were only six operational locomotives in Nigeria primarily used for passenger service; the majority of the rail lines are in a severe state of disrepair and need to be replaced

standard gauge

293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

3,798 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

60,000 km (2017)

total

195,000 km (2017)

unpaved

135,000 km (2017)

Waterways

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

Military - note

the Nigerian military is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest and regarded as one of its most capable forces; the Army is organized into 8 divisions comprised of a diverse mix of more than 20 combat brigades, including airborne infantry, amphibious infantry, armor, artillery, light infantry, mechanized and motorized infantry, and special operations forces; there is also a presidential guard brigade; the Army typically organizes into battalion- and brigade-sized task forces for operations; the Air Force has a few squadrons of fighters, ground attack fighters, armed UAVs, and attack helicopter squadrons primarily for supporting the Armythe Army and Air Force are focused largely on internal security and face a number of challenges that have stretched their resources; the Army is deployed in all 36 of the country's states; in the northeast, it is conducting counterinsurgency/counterterrorist 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 jihadist-related violence has killed an estimated 35-40,000 people, mostly civilians, since 2009; in the northwest, it faces growing 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; bandits in the northwestern Nigeria are estimated to number in the low 10,000s and violence there has killed more than 10,000 people since the mid-2010s; the military also continues to protect the oil industry in the Niger Delta region against militants and criminal activity, although the levels of violence there have decreased in recent years; since 2021, additional troops and security forces have been deployed to eastern Nigeria to quell renewed agitation for a state of Biafra (Biafra seceded from Nigeria in the late 1960s, sparking a civil war that caused more than 1 million deaths)meanwhile, the Navy is focused on security in the Gulf of Guinea; since 2016, it has developed a maritime strategy, boosted naval training and its naval presence in the Gulf, increased participation in regional maritime security efforts, and acquired a considerable number of new naval platforms, including offshore and coastal patrol craft, fast attack boats, and air assets; its principal surface ships currently include a frigate and 4 corvettes or offshore patrol shipsthe 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 the West African colonies of Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and Gambia; the WAFF served with distinction in both East and West Africa during World War I; in 1928, it received royal recognition and was re-named the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF); the RWAFF went on to serve in World War II as part of the British 81st and 82nd (West African) divisions in the East Africa and Burma campaigns; in 1956, the Nigeria Regiment of the RWAFF 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN): Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air ForceMinistry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (2023)

note

note 1: the NSCDC is a paramilitary agency commissioned to assist the military in the management of threats to internal security, including attacks and natural disastersnote 2: the Office of the National Security Advisor is responsible for coordinating all security and enforcement agencies, including the Department of State Security (DSS), the NSCDC, the Ministry of Justice, and the NPF; border security responsibilities are shared among the NPF, the DSS, the NSCDC, Customs, Immigration, and the Nigerian militarynote 3: some states have created local security forces in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that have exceeded the response capacity of government security forces

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 135,000 active-duty armed forces personnel (100,000 Army; 20,000 Navy/Coast Guard; 15,000 Air Force); approximately 80,000 Security and Civil Defense Corps (2023)

Military deployments

175 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA) (2023)

note

note: Nigeria has committed an Army combat brigade (approximately 3,000 troops) to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional counter-terrorism force comprised of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; MNJTF conducts operations against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a wide variety of imported weapons systems of Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, Russian (including Soviet-era), and US origin; the military is undergoing a considerable modernization program, and in recent years has received equipment from nearly 20 countries with China and Russia as the leading suppliers; Nigeria is also developing a defense-industry capacity, including small arms, armored personnel vehicles, and small-scale naval production (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2023)

Disputes - international

Nigeria-Benin: none identified Nigeria-Cameroon: Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phaseout of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; demarcation of the Bakassi Peninsula and adjoining border areas should be finalized in 2022; as Lake Chad’s evaporation exposed dry land, 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 Nigeria-Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea: 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 Nigeria-Niger: none identified

Illicit drugs

Nigeria is a major hub for transnational drug trafficking networks entrenched throughout the world and supplying cocaine to Asia and Europe, heroin to Europe and North America, and methamphetamine to South Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand; also exporting massive quantities of opioids such as tramadol and captagon along with crack cocaine; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics  

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

3.15 million (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) (2023)

refugees (country of origin)

89,045 (Cameroon) (2023)

Space agency/agencies

National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA; established 1999); NARSDA originated from the National Centre for Remote Sensing and National Committee on Space Applications (both established in 1987), and the Directorate of Science (established 1993); Defense Space Administration (DSA; established 2014) (2023)

Space program overview

has a formal national space program, which is one of the largest in Africa; focused on acquiring satellites for agricultural, environmental, meteorology, mining and disaster monitoring, socio-economic development, and security purposes; 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 (RS) technologies; researching rockets and rocket propulsion systems with goal of launching domestically produced satellites into space from a Nigerian spaceport by 2030; has relations and/or cooperation agreements with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Ghana, 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 (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

120.37 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

143.99 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

55.64 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

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, 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

Food insecurity

widespread lack of access

due to persistent civil conflict in the northern areas, floods, high food prices, and an economic slowdown - about 24.86 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity during the June to August 2023 lean season, which is more than the 19.45 million people estimated to be acutely food insecure in 2022; acute food insecurity is mostly the result of worsening insecurity and conflicts in northern states, which, as well as impeding farmers’ physical access to their lands and disrupting agricultural activities, led to the displacement of about 3.57 million people as of April 2023; macroeconomic challenges, marked by persistent high inflation, depreciation of the naira on the informal market, high fuel prices and the lingering impacts of cash shortages following the introduction of new banknotes at the start of 2023, have aggravated the food security conditions of vulnerable households (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

78% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 37.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.)

forest

9.5% (2018 est.)

other

12.5% (2018 est.)

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 kmnote - 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 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

1.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

286.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

5.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.97 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

54.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

27,614,830 tons (2009 est.)