Nigeria

Federal Republic of Nigeria

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

Nigeria as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Benin and

Populationas each edition published it

95.06 million July 1993 est. · 118.82m in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.13% 1993 est. · 2.39% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

54.7 years 1993 est. · 62.2 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.43 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

77.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 119 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$300 1992 est. · $5,700 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

3.6% 1992 est. · 3.4% in 2025

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Benin and | Cameroon

13 fields

Land useshare of 923,770 km2

arable land 31%permanent crops 3%meadows and pastures 23%forest and woodland 15%other 28%irrigated 8,650 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

923,770km2

land area: 910,770 km2comparative 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

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Benin and Cameroon

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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

petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

95,060,430

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 3.13% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

43.8Death

12.85Net migration

0.37

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years54.7

53.54 · 55.88

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy51%

62% · 40%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Religions

Muslim 50%Christian 40%indigenous beliefs 10%

Labor force

42.844million

by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%note: 49% of population of working age (1985)

Infant mortality rate

77.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Nigerian(s)
adjective:: Nigerian

Ethnic divisions

north:: Hausa and Fulani
southwest:: Yoruba
southeast:: Ibos non-Africans 27,000

note: Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibos together make up 65% of population

Languages

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

Government

Military government since 31 December 1983

20 fields

Names

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

Type

military government since 31 December 1983; plans to turn over power to elected civilians in August 1993

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, 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)

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Baba Gana KINGIBE, chairman; National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom IKIMI, chairman note: these are the only two political parties, and they were established by the government in 1989

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: first presidential elections since the 31 December 1983 coup scheduled for June 1993
Senate:: last held 4 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (total 84) SDP 47, NRC 37
House of Representatives:: last held 4 July 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (total 577) SDP 310, NRC 267

Executive branch

president, vice-president, cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

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); Vice-President Admiral (Ret.) Augustus AIKHOMU (since 30 August 1990)

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, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE
chancery:: 2201 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:: (202) 822-1500
consulate general:: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador William L. SWING
embassy:: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos
mailing address:: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone:: [234] (1) 610097
FAX:: [234] (1) 610257 branch office: Abuja
consulate general:: Kaduna

Flag

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

Economy

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$300

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

3.6%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5.5% (1991); accounts for 8.5% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

60%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

28%

(1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$9 billionExpenditures

$10.8 billion

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

Overview

Although Nigeria is Africa's leading oil-producing country, it remains poor with a $300 per capita GDP. In 1991-92 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 remain below the level of the early 1980s oil boom.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $35 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$12.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: oil 95%, cocoa, rubber
partners:: EC countries 43%, US 41%

Imports

$7.8 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials
partners:: EC countries 70%, US 16%

External debt

$33.4 billion (1991)

Electricity

4,740,000 kW capacity; 8,300 million kWh produced, 70 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

passenger and cargo air hub for West Africa facilitates Nigeria's position as a major transit country for heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and North America;
increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for West European and North American markets (some of that cocaine is also consumed in Nigeria)

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

1 naira (N) = 100 kobo

Exchange rates

naira (N) per US$1 - 19.661 (December 1992), 17.298 (1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 28 ships by typeone square, one ship

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

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

Ports

Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele

Airports

total:: 76 usable: 63
with permanent-surface runways:: 34
with runways over 3,659 m:: 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 15
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 23

Telecommunications

above-average system limited by poor maintenance;
major expansion in progress;
radio relay microwave 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