Nigeria

military government since 31 December 1983Independence 1 October 1960 (from UK)

Nigeria as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 74 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAbuja

Area923,770 km2

Populationas each edition published it

126.27 million July 1992 · 118.82m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.13% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 54.7 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.5 children per woman 1992 · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

110 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 119 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.6% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

923,770km2

Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Coastline

853km

Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 30 nm

Land boundaries

4,047km total

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

Disputes

demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria;
boundary commission created with Cameroon to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries - has not yet convened

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

Land use

arable land 31%;
permanent crops 3%;
meadows and pastures 23%;
forest and woodland 15%;
other 28%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities;
desertification;
soil degradation, rapid deforestation

People

14 fields

Population

126,274,589

(July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992); note - a new population figure of 88.5 million is in the process of being incorporated into revised Census Bureau figures (April 1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

46Death

Religions

Muslim 50%Christian 40%indigenous beliefs 10%

Literacy

51%

(male 62%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Nigerian(s); adjective - Nigerian

Ethnic divisions

more than 250 tribal groups;
Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast make up 65% of the population;
about 27,000 non-Africans

Languages

English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used

Labor force

42,844,000;
agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%;
49% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor

3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation - the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)

Government

Military government since 31 December 1983

19 fields

Type

military government since 31 December 1983

Capital

Abuja;
note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja;
many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja

30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe

Independence

1 October 1960 (from UK)

Constitution

1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989

Legal system

based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Executive branch

president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 1983

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)

Political parties and leaders

two political parties established by the government in 1989 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)

Suffrage

universal at age 21

Elections

President:: first presidential elections since the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for late 1992
National Assembly:: first elections since it was dissolved after the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for 4 July 1992

Communists

the pro-Communist underground consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left;
leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on the government

Member of

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE;
Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037;
telephone (202) 822-1500;
there is a Nigerian Consulate General in New York

US:: Ambassador Lannon WALKER;
Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos (mailing address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos);
telephone [234] (1) 610097;
FAX [234] (1) 610257;
there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna;
note - the US Government has requested Nigerian Government permission to open an Embassy Branch Office in Abuja;
the US Embassy will remain in Lagos until a later date, when the Branch Office in Abuja will become the Embassy and the Embassy in Lagos will become a Consulate General

Flag

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

Economy

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

40%

(1991)

External debt

$32billion

(December 1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$10 billionExpenditures

$10 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Overview

Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $250 per capita GDP. In 1991 massive government spending, much of it to help ensure a smooth transition to civilian rule, ballooned the budget deficit and caused inflation and interest rates to rise.

The lack of fiscal discipline forced the IMF to declare Nigeria not in compliance with an 18-month standby facility started in January 1991. Lagos has set ambitious targets for expanding oil production capacity and is offering foreign companies more attractive investment incentives.

Government efforts to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil exports and to sustain noninflationary growth, however, have fallen short because of inadequate new investment funds and endemic corruption. Living standards continue to deteriorate from the higher level of the early 1980s oil boom.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $250; real growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$13.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:: oil 95%, cocoa, rubber
partners:: EC 51%, US 32%

Imports

$6.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990)

commodities:: consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials
partners:: EC, US

Industrial production

growth rate 7.2% (1990); accounts for 8.5% of GDP

Electricity

4,740,000 kW capacity; 11,280 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

crude oil and mining - coal, tin, columbite;
primary processing industries - palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins;
manufacturing industries - textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel

Agriculture

accounts for 32% of GDP and half of labor force;
inefficient small-scale farming dominates;
once a large net exporter of food and now an importer;
cash crops - cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber;
food crops - corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams;
livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited

Illicit drugs

illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking;
marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export;
major transit country for heroin en route from southeast and southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US;
growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.0 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion

Currency

naira (plural - naira); 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo

Exchange rates

naira (N) per US$1 - 10.226 (February 1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 28 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 17refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off 1petroleum tanker 7chemical tanker 1bulk 128 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,046 GRT/664,949 DWT

Airports, 76 total, 64 usable

permanent-surface runways

33runways over | 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

15runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

107,990Railroads

3,505

Highways: (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved

Highways

107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment);
25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth;
52,560 km unimproved

Inland waterways

8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks

Pipelines

crude oil 2,042 km;
natural gas 500 km;
petroleum products 3,000 km

above-average system limited by poor maintenance;
major expansion in progress;
radio relay and cable routes;
broadcast stations - 35 AM, 17 FM, 28 TV;
satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 20 domestic stations;
1 coaxial submarine cable