Nigeria

Federal Republic of Nigeria

republic transitioning from military to civilian ruleIndependence 1 October 1960 (from UK)

Nigeria as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 130 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
Position10 00 N, 8 00 E
Area923,768 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
2004

Every edition of Nigeria

Populationas each edition published it
137.25 million July 2004 est. · 118.82m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.45% 2004 est. · 3.13% in 1993
Median ageyears
18.1 years 2004 est. · 18 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
50.49 years 2004 est. · 54.7 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.32 children per woman 2004 est. · 6.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
70.49 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 119 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$900 2003 est. · $300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
7.1% 2003 est. · 3.6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Despite some irregularities, the April 2003 elections marked the first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 923,768 sq km

arable land 31.29%permanent crops 2.96%other 65.75% (2001)irrigated 2,330 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
923,768sq km
land: 910,768 sq kmwater: 13,000 sq kmslightly more than twice the size of California
Coastline
853km
territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Highest point
2,419m
Chappal Waddilowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
4,047km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 8 00 E

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

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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; flooding

Environment - current issues

  • soil degradation;
  • rapid deforestation;
  • urban air and water pollution;
  • desertification;
  • oil pollution - water, air, and soil;
  • has suffered serious damage from oil spills;
  • loss of arable land;
  • rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

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

People

19 fields
Population
137,253,133
growth rate: 2.45% (2004 est.)
Note
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
38.24Death
13.99Net migration
0.26

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)50.49
50.35 · 50.63Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)70.49
73.55 · 67.34
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)68%
75.7% · 60.6%Median age years (2004 est.)18.1
18.2 · 17.9
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

Muslim 50%Christian 40%indigenous beliefs 10%

Age structure

0-14 years:
43.4% (male 29,985,427; female 29,637,684)
15-64 years:
53.7% (male 37,502,756; female 36,205,442)
65 years and over:
2.9% (male 1,944,260; female 1,977,564) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.98 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

310,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Nigerian(s)
adjective:
Nigerian

Ethnic groups

  • Nigeria, which is Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups;
  • the following are the most populous and politically influential:
    • Hausa and Fulani 29%,
    • Yoruba 21%,
    • Igbo (Ibo) 18%,
    • Ijaw 10%,
    • Kanuri 4%,
    • Ibibio 3.5%,
    • Tiv 2.5%

Languages

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

Government

Republic transitioning from military to civilian rule; President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

61.9%
Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%other 3.6%election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

Senate, 346 seats, elected 12 April 2003seats by party

PDP 213ANPP 95AD 31other 7

Percent of vote

PDP 53.6%ANPP 27.9%AD 9.7%

Country name

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

Government type

republic transitioning from military to civilian rule

Capital

  • Abuja;
  • note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja;
  • most federal government offices have now made the move to Abuja

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, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

Independence

1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday

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

Constitution

new constitution adopted May 1999

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Federal Executive Council
elections:
president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results:
Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (107 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (346 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results:
  • Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.6%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%;
  • seats by party - PDP 73, ANPP 28, AD 6;
  • House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 9.3%, other 8.8%;
  • seats by party - PDP 213, ANPP 95, AD 31, other 7;
  • note - two constituencies are not reported

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President);
  • Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)

Political parties and leaders

  • Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu ABDULKADIR];
  • All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET];
  • All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE];
  • National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI];
  • Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Audu OGBEH];
  • Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA];
  • Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE];
  • United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Saleh JAMBO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC [Adams OSHIOMOLE]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Jibril Muhammad AMINU
chancery:
3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 986-8400
FAX:
[1] (202) 775-1385
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Howard Franklin JETER
embassy:
7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
mailing address:
P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone:
[234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
FAX:
[234] (9) 523-0353

Flag description

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

Economy

Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under the new civilian administration.

46 fields
Real growth rate
7.1%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 2.3% (2003 est.)
Public debt
28.6%of GDP
(2003)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 30.8%industry 43.8%services 25.4% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

38.3%
US
15.6%
9.9%
India
UK
9.6%
Germany
7.3%
China
7.2%
6.8%
Brazil
6.2%
Spain
5.6%
France
Italy
4.3%
4%
Japan
Exports $21.8 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $14.54 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$8.026 billionExpenditures
$11.09 billion (2003 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of NA

Electricity

Electricity production
15.67 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
14.55 billion (2001)Electricity exports
20 million (2001)

Economy - overview

Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under the new civilian administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues.

The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms.

Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. The government has lacked the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry.

During 2003, however, the government deregulated fuel prices and announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries. GDP growth probably will rise marginally in 2004, led by oil and natural gas exports.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $114.8 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $900 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

27.7% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
1.6%
highest 10%:
40.8% (1996-97)

Labor force

54.36 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

  • cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber;
  • cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
  • timber;
  • fish

Industries

crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel

Oil - production

2.256 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

275,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

27 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

15.68 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

7.85 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

7.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

4.007 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$1.439 billion (2003)

Exports

$21.8 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber

Imports

$14.54 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals

Debt - external

$31.07 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

IMF $250 million (1998)

Currency

naira (NGN)

Exchange rates

nairas per US dollar - 129.222 (2003), 120.578 (2002), 111.231 (2001), 101.697 (2000), 92.3381 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
3,149,500
(2003)
Internet users
1,142
(2004)
Fixed lines
853,100
(2003) · country code .ng

Telephone system

general assessment:
an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made
domestic:
  • intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable;
  • mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available
international:
  • country code - 234;
  • satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean);
  • fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)

Internet users

750,000 (2003)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

7
over 3,047 m
11
2,438 to 3,047 m
9
1,524 to 2,437 m
3
6
914 to 1,523 m
13
3
under 914 m
18
Paved 36Unpaved 34

Networkskm

Highways
194,394Railways
3,557Waterways
8,600 (2004)
Highways: paved: 60,068 km (including 1,194 km of expressways) · unpaved: 134,326 km (1999 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge · standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) · Waterways: (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks)

Railways

total:
3,557 km
narrow gauge:
3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
standard gauge:
52 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Highways

total:
194,394 km
paved:
60,068 km (including 1,194 km of expressways)
unpaved:
134,326 km (1999 est.)

Waterways

8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2004)

Pipelines

condensate 105 km; gas 1,896 km; oil 3,638 km; refined products 3,626 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

total:
45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 327,808 GRT/608,076 DWT
by type:
cargo 7, chemical tanker 5, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned:
Norway 2, Pakistan 1, Togo 1, United States 1
registered in other countries:
26 (2004 est.)

Airports

70 (2003 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 32,665,407 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 18,763,229 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

Disputes - international

  • ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north;
  • Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakasi Peninsula;
  • 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, the unresolved Bakasi allocation, 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;
  • several villages along the Okpara River are in dispute with Benin;
  • Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 250,000 (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President Obasanjo's election in 1999) (2004)

Illicit drugs

  • a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets;
  • safehaven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide;
  • major money-laundering center;
  • massive corruption and criminal activity, remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nigeria.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nigeria/2004.

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