Nigeria

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

Nigeria as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 124 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
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Benin and
1994

Every edition of Nigeria

Populationas each edition published it
98.09 million July 1994 est. · 118.82m in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.15% 1994 est. · 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
6.37 children per woman 1994 est. · 6.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
75 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 119 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,000 1993 est. · $300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.1% 1992 · 3.6% in 1993

Geography

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

23 fields
Land boundaries
4,047km
total · Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Irrigated land
8,650sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

923,770 sq km

land area

910,770 sq km

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of California

continental shelf

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

30 nm

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, but a commission was formed January 1994 to study a flare-up of the dispute

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

arable land

31%

permanent crops

3%

meadows and pastures

23%

forest and woodland

15%

other

28%

current issues

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

natural hazards

periodic droughts

international agreements

  • party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

People

25 fields
Population
98,091,097
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 3.15% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
43.52Death
12.43Net migration
0.36

Religions

Muslim 50%Christian 40%indigenous beliefs 10%
Labor force
42.844million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

75 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

55.33 years

male

54.11 years

female

56.59 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.37 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Nigerian(s)

adjective

Nigerian

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

total population

51%

male

62%

female

40%

by occupation

agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%

note

49% of population of working age (1985)

Government

Military government since 31 December 1983

31 fields

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Nigeria

conventional short form

Nigeria

Type

  • military government since 31 December 1983;
  • plans to institute a constitutional conference to prepare for a new transition to civilian rule after plans for a transition in 1993 were negated by General BABANGIDA

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

Administrative divisions

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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Constitution

1979 constitution still in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces and Defense Minister Gen. Sani ABACHA (since 17 November 1993); Vice-Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council Oladipo DIYA (since 17 November 1993)

cabinet

Federal Executive Council

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly

Senate

suspended after coup of 17 November 1993

House of Representatives

suspended after coup of 17 November 1993

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal

note

two political party system suspended after the coup of 17 November 1993

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, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE

chancery

1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

(202) 986-8400

consulate(s) general

New York

chief of mission

Ambassador Walter CARRINGTON

embassy

2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos

mailing address

P. O. Box 554, Lagos

telephone

[234] (1) 610050

FAX

[234] (1) 610257

consulate(s) general

Kaduna

Flag

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

Economy

The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by poor | macroeconomic management that has resulted in an average annual | inflation rate of 60%, a growing foreign debt, and a worsening balance | of payments.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
4.1%
(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 7.7% (1991); accounts for 43% of GDP, including petroleum
Unemployment rate
28%
(1992 est.)

Overview

The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by poor macroeconomic management that has resulted in an average annual inflation rate of 60%, a growing foreign debt, and a worsening balance of payments. A deepening political crisis in 1993 has compounded the government's failure to reign in deficit spending, which prevents it from reaching an agreement with the IMF and its bilateral creditors on debt relief.

Investment in both oil and non-oil sector industry has been undermined by corruption and squandered on white elephant projects that have failed to generate diversification or new employment.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $95.1 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$9 billion

expenditures

$10.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Exports

$11.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities

oil 95%, cocoa, rubber

partners

US 54%, EC 23%

Imports

$8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities

machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, food and animals

partners

EC 64%, US 10%, Japan 7%

External debt

$29.5 billion (1992)

capacity

4,740,000 kW

production

8.3 billion kWh

consumption per capita

70 kWh (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 35% 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 movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America;
  • increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for West European, East Asian, and North American markets

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3 billion;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion

Currency

1 naira (N) = 100 kobo

Exchange rates

naira (N) per US$1 - 21.886 (November 1993), 17.298 (1992), 9.909 (1991), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

Railroads

3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge

total

107,990 km

paved

mostly bituminous-surface treatment 30,019 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 25,411 km; unimproved earth 52,560 km

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

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

Merchant marine

33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 432,704 GRT/686,718 DWT, bulk 1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 3, liquified gas 1, oil tanker 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

total

80

usable

67

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

21

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

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force

4 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 22,468,803;
  • fit for military service 12,840,029;
  • reach military age (18) annually 986,518 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $172 million, about 1% of GDP (1992)

Affiliation

(free association with New Zealand)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nigeria.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nigeria/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →