from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Nigeria
Introduction
Background: British influence and control over what would become
Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of
constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria
greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. 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 reforming 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. Although the April 2003
elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria
is currently experiencing its longest period of
civilian rule since independence.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between
Benin and Cameroon
Geographic 10 00 N, 8 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
Area - slightly more than twice the size of California
comparative:
Land total: 4,047 km
boundaries: border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad
87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
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
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone,
resources: niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use: arable land: 33.02%
permanent crops: 3.14%
other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated 2,820 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural periodic droughts; flooding
hazards:
Environment - soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and
current water pollution; desertification; oil pollution -
issues: water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from
oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: 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 - the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows
note: southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to
its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
People
Population: 131,859,731
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.3% (male 28,089,017/female 27,665,212)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 36,644,885/female 35,405,915)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,930,007/female
2,124,695) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.7 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.38% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 40.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 16.94 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 97.14 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 104.05 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 90.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 47.08 years
expectancy at male: 46.52 years
birth: female: 47.66 years (2006 est.)
Total 5.49 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 5.4% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 3.6 million (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 310,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the
most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever (2005)
Nationality: noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups: Nigeria, 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%
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government federal republic
type:
Capital: name: Abuja
geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom,
divisions: 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 Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
holiday:
Constitution: new constitution adopted May 1999
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12
northern states), and traditional law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29
branch: 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 a
four-year term (eligible for a second term); election
last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held April 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 bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109
branch: seats - 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and
House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be
held in 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12
April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP
76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent
of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%,
other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD 34,
other 6; note - one seat is vacant
Judicial Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President);
branch: Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the
federal government on the advice of the Advisory
Judicial Committee)
Political Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA];
parties and All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All
leaders: Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [disputed
leadership]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu
Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu
ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir
Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal
MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP
[disputed leadership]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
organization IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
participation: IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS
(observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Professor George A.
representation OBIOZOR
in the US: chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John CAMPBELL
representation embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353
Flag three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
description: white, and green
Economy
Economy - Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political
overview: instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and
poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some
reforms under a new reform-minded administration.
Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify
the economy away from its 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. In the
last year the government has begun showing 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. In
2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices,
announced the privatization of the country's four oil
refineries, and instituted the National Economic
Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically
designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty
Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary
management. GDP rose strongly in 2005, based largely on
increased oil exports and high global crude prices. In
November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a
historic debt-relief deal that by March 2006 should
eliminate $30 billion worth of Nigeria's total $37
billion external debt. The deal first requires that
Nigeria repay roughly $12 billion in arrears to its
bilateral creditors. Nigeria would then be allowed to
buy back its remaining debt stock at a discount. The
deal also commits Nigeria to more intensified IMF
reviews.
GDP $175.5 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $77.33 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.9% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 26.9%
composition by industry: 48.7%
sector: services: 24.4% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 57.21 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 70%
by occupation: industry: 10%
services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment 2.9% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 60% (2000 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.6%
income or highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 50.6 (1996-97)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 13.5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $12.86 billion
expenditures: $13.54 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 11% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet,
products: 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, small commercial ship construction and repair
Industrial 3.8% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 15.59 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 61.9%
production by hydro: 38.1%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 14.46 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 40 million kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 2.451 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 310,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 36 billion bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 19.2 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 7.41 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 7.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 4.502 trillion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $5.597 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $52.16 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
commodities:
Exports - US 49.7%, Brazil 10.4%, Spain 7.6% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $25.95 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured
commodities: goods, food and live animals
Imports - China 10.4%, US 7.3%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6%, France
partners: 5.9%, Germany 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of $28.28 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $32.45 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - IMF, $250 million (1998)
recipient:
Currency naira (NGN)
(code):
Currency code: NGN
Exchange nairas per US dollar - 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004),
rates: 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 1,223,300 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 21,571,131 (2006)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: expansion and modernization of the
system: fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to
faltering efforts at privatization
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider
in 2002 resulted in faster growth in this service;
wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part
responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line
network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate
nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp
increase in teledensity reported to be over 18% in
March 2006
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 AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 23.5 million (1997)
Television 3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting
broadcast stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)
stations:
Televisions: 6.9 million (1997)
Internet .ng
country code:
Internet 1,549 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 11 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 5 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 69 (2006)
Airports - total: 36
with paved over 3,047 m: 6
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 33
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 18 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas
125 km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)
Railways: total: 3,505 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 194,394 km
paved: 60,068 km
unpaved: 134,326 km (1999)
Waterways: 8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and
creeks) (2005)
Merchant total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414
marine: DWT
by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/
oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 36, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1,
Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda
11, Cambodia 2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1,
Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)
Ports and Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt
terminals:
Military
Military Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)
branches:
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 26,802,678
available for females age 18-49: 25,668,446 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 15,052,914
for military females age 18-49: 13,860,806 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,353,180
reaching females age 18-49: 1,329,267 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $737.6 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.8% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land
international: 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; following the UN-brokered Greentree Agreement of
12 June 2006, Nigeria, in completion of the 2002 ICJ
decision on the Cameroon-Nigerian land boundary, handed
sovereignty of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on 14
August; all Nigerian military forces have reportedly
withdrawn from the region but Nigeria will continue to
maintain a police and administrative presence in the
southeastern "transition zone" for a period of up to
two years; Nigeria pledges to provide for the
resettlement of those Bakassi residents who wish to
remain Nigerian citizens; 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; a joint
task force was established in 2004 that resolved
disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km
land boundary with Benin on the Okpara River; 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
Refugees and IDPs: 200,000 - 250,000 (communal violence between
internally Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's
displaced election in 1999) (2005)
persons:
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; Nigeria has improved
some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its
removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's)
Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June
2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues
to be monitored by FATF