Nigeria - History, Government and politics, Geography and climate, Economy, Demographics, Culture, Sport, Societal issues

Official name Federal Republic of Nigeria

Local name Nigeria Timezone GMT +1 Area 923 768 km²/356 669 sq mi population total (2002e) 129 935 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1960 Capital Abuja Languages English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, and other Niger-Congo dialects widely used Ethnic groups Over 250 tribal groups, notably Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba and Ibo (65%); Kanuri, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, and Ibidio (25%) Religions Muslim (50%), Christian (34%), indigenous animist beliefs (10%) Physical features Long, sandy shoreline with mangrove swamp, dominated by R Niger delta; undulating area of tropical rainforest and oil palm bush behind a coastal strip; open woodland and savannah further N; numerous rivers, notably the Niger and the Benue; Gotel Mts on SE frontier, highest point, Mt Vogel, 2024 m/6640 ft. Climate Tropical; uniformly high temperatures; average annual temperatures 21–7°C (Jan), 25–6°C (Jul); dry season in the N (Oct–Apr); average annual rainfall 1836–2497 mm/54–98 in; subject to influence of the Saharan Harmattan in N. Currency 1 Naira (NGN) = 100 kobos Economy Oil (provides c.90% of exports); agriculture (employs 50% of population); palm oil, groundnuts, cotton, cassava, rice, sugar cane, tobacco; fishing, livestock, forestry; natural gas, tin, iron ore, columbite, tantalite, limestone; pulp, paper, textiles, rubber; locust swarms devastated crops in N (Aug 2004). GDP (2002e) $112·5 bn, per capita $900 Human Development Index (2002) 0·462 History Centre of the Nok culture, 500 BC- AD 200; Muslim immigrants, 15th–16th-c; British colony at Lagos, 1861; protectorates of N and S Nigeria, 1900; amalgamated as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, 1914; federation, 1954; independence, 1960; federal republic, 1963; military coup, 1966; E area formed Republic of Biafra, 1967; civil war, and surrender of Biafra, 1970; military coups 1983 and 1985; major civil and religious unrest, 1992; presidential elections held, then annulled; military coup, 1993; restoration of civilian rule, 1999; governed by a President, a 360-seat House of Representatives, and a 109-seat Senate. text-align:center;">

Flag	Coat of arms

Motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"
Anthem: Arise O Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey
Capital	Abuja 9°10′N 7°10′E
Largest city	Lagos
Official language	English
Government	Federal republic
- President	Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ (PDP)
- Vice President	Atiku Abubakar (PDP)
Independence	from the United Kingdom
- Water (%)	1.4
Population
- 2005 estimate	131,530,0001 (9th)
- 1991 census	88,992,220
- Density	142/km² (71st) 369/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$173.7 billion (47th)
- Per capita	$1,188 (164th)
HDI  (2003)	0.453 (low) (158th)
Currency	Naira (₦) (NGN)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Internet TLD	.ng
Calling code	+234
1 Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS;

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa and the most populous country on the African continent. Nigeria shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, Niger in the north, and borders the Gulf of Guinea in the south.

The people of Nigeria have an extensive history, and based on archaeological evidence, human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. However, the Nigerian state came into being on October 1, 1960 when Nigeria declared its independence from the British and at present consists of 36 states and the federal capital territory. Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 after a sixteen-year interruption by a series of military dictators. From 1966 until 1999, Nigeria had been ruled (except the short-lived second republic, 1979-1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups d'état and counter-coups.

History

More than 2,000 years ago, the Nok people in central Nigeria were producing sculptures. In 1901, Nigeria was made a British protectorate and remained under the control of Britain until its independence in 1960.

Newly independent Nigeria's government was a coalition of conservative parties: the Nigerian People's Congress (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the Islamic faith, and the Igboand Christian dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, who became Nigeria's maiden Governor-General in 1960. When elections came about in 1965, the AG was outmanoeuvered for control of Nigeria's Western Region by the Nigerian National Democratic Party an ammalgamation of conservative Yoruba elements backed heavily by the Federal Government amid dubious electoral circumstances. The Northern coup (the northern coup was actually as a result of the killing of Nigerian Leaders who were primarily from the north, this explain why Obafemi Awolowo a yoruba , Nnamdi Azikiwe (Igbo) were not killed while all almost all their northern counterparts were killed, the north was angered by this because they believe the Igbos were out to eliminate them) was accompanied by widespread sectarian violence against ethnic Igbos migrants in the north and middle belt regions, brought on by the blood bath of Northern Leaders in the first Igbo dominated coup, and subsequently forced many to flee in large numbers to their homeland in the south.

The perpetration of violence against Igbos, which some Igbos considered to be of genocidal proportions, increased their desire for autonomy and protection from the military's wrath. As Biafra was now perceived as expansionist, this provoked a violent response from the federal military government who retook the Midwest with ease, escalating the conflict into a full-scale war which resulted in over a million deaths and the reincorporation of Biafran territory into the republic, the Nigerian government though the clear winner in the war was magnanimous in declaring that there was no victor or vanquished in the senseless war carried out by a group that many believed are still responsible for the ills of Nigeria today.

Following the war, Nigeria became to an extent even more mired in ethnic strife, as the defeated southeast was now conquered territory for the federal military regime, which changed heads of state twice as Murtala Mohammed staged a bloodless coup against Gowon; During the oil boom of the 1970's, Nigeria helped initiate the founding of OPEC and billions of dollars generated by production in the oil-rich Niger Delta flowed into the coffers of the Nigerian state.

The new head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, promptly declared himself President and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces and the ruling Supreme Military Council and also set 1990 as the official deadline for a return to democratic governance. He also inflamed religious tensions throughout the nation and particularly the south by enrolling Nigeria in the Organization of the Islamic Conference, he survived an abortive coup and pushed back the promised return to democracy to 1992. Babangida's regime is adjudged to be the most corrupt in the history of the nation as it was during his time that corruption was institutionalized in Nigeria.

Babangida's caretaker regime headed by Ernest Shonekan survived only until late 1993 when General Sani Abacha took power in another military coup. Abacha proved to be perhaps Nigeria's most brutal ruler and employed violence on a wide scale to suppress the continuing pandemic of civilian unrest.

Abacha's death finally yielded an opportunity for return to civilian rule and Nigeria elected Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba and former military head of state, as the its new president. Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as anything but free and fair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development at all levels.

Government and politics

Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president and overtones of the Westminster model in the composition and management of its upper and lower houses. The current president of Nigeria is Olusegun Obasanjo who was elected in 1999 following the restoration of democracy after nearly two decades of outright military dictatorship.

The two major parties in Nigerian politics are the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria and the All Nigeria People's Party.There are about twenty other minor opposition parties registered.

See also:

Federal ministers of Nigeria Federal Ministries of Nigeria Political Parties in Nigeria Government of Nigeria

Administrative divisions

Nigeria is divided into thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory, which are further sub-divided into 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The states include: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ẹdo, Ekiti, Enụgụ, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Ọsun, Ọyọ, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

Law

There are four distinct systems of law in Nigeria:

English Law which is derived from its colonial past with Britain;

Upon gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria made the liberation and restoration of the dignity of Africa the centerpiece of its foreign policy. Barely months into its independence, Nigeria was called upon by the United Nations to contribute troops to quell the secession crisis of the Katanga province in Congo (DRC). The African emancipation and abolition of apartheid key focus of Nigeria's foreign policy was tested in the 1970s after Nigeria emerged united from its own civil war. Nigeria quickly committed itself to the liberation struggles going on in the Southern Africa sub-region. Although far away in west Africa, Nigeria declared itself a front-line state in South Africa's struggle for liberation from white minority rule. Though Nigeria never sent an expeditionary force in that struggle, it offered more than rhetoric to the African National Congress(ANC) by taking a committed tough line with regard to the racist regime and their incursions in southern Africa. Nigeria vigorously campaigned and eventually succeeded in galvanizing a global economic isolation of the racist apartheid regime. Nigeria perceived the apartheid regime as the root cause of regional instability.

Similarly, in 1975, war broke out in Angola after the country gained independence from Portugal, Nigeria, a member of the English Commonwealth of Nations, mobilized its diplomatic influence in Africa in support of the MPLA.

Nigeria extended diplomatic support to another Marxist cause, Sam Nujoma's SWAPO movement in Namibia, to stall the apartheid South African installed puppet government in Namibia. Nigeria also sent military equipment to Mozambique to help the new independent country suppress the South African backed RENAMO guerrillas. Although officially denied by the Nigerian government, Nigeria is known to have also provided secret military training at the Kaduna first mechanized army division and provided other material support to Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe's guerrilla forces during the Rhodesian Bush War(Renamed Zimbabwe in 1979) of independence against white minority rule of Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith which was armed and financed by the regime in South Africa.

Although her economy and technology could not have supported it, Nigeria announced to a bewildered international community that she was launching a nuclear program of "unlimited scope" of her own. To demonstrate her seriousness against multi-national companies in Nigeria that violated the economic/trade embargo on the racist South African regime, the local operations of Barclays bank was nationalized after that bank ignored the strong protests by Nigeria urging it not to buy the South African government bond.

Nigeria also nationalized the British Petroleum (BP) for supplying oil to South Africa. In December 1983, the new Major General Muhammadu Buhari regime announced that Nigeria could no longer afford an activist anti-colonial role in Africa. That policy statement did not deter Nigeria under Generals Ibrahim Babangida in 1990 and Sani Abacha in 1997 from sending ECOMOG peacekeeping forces under the auspices of ECOWAS into Liberia and later Sierra Leone when civil wars broke out in those countries. Charles Taylor was subsequently eased out of power and exiled to Nigeria.

In October 2004, Nigerian troops again deployed into Darfur, Sudan to spearhead an AU force to stop the genocide in Darfur. Nigeria boasts to have contributed more than 20,000 troops/police to various UN missions since 1960. Nigeria's commitment towards African solidarity and peaceful coexistence amongst neighbouring states of Africa was demonstrated during the Bakassi peninsula dispute. In 2006, despite repeated acts of provocation with the serial killings of Nigerian soldiers and civilians, Nigeria completely relinquished the disputed oil rich Bakassi peninsula to her eastern neighbor Cameroon. This action followed the International Court of Justice verdict ICJ on a lawsuit instituted against Nigeria by Cameroon. Nigeria have called for a Permanent African seat on the UN security council.Nigeria have rendered technical assistance to several African and Caribbean nations using her own technical aid corps. Where the Federal Government of Nigeria pays for Nigerian Professionals especially Doctors, Judges, teachers and university professors etc who are sent into other recipient countries to help them develop their own human capacity.

Nigeria has an increasingly developing diplomatic and economic cooperation agreement with China and is an advocate of a peaceful "one China" policy in reference to the Taiwan dispute. Since 1960, Nigeria has been a member of the United Nations and also joined the Commonwealth of Nations the same year, however they were suspended between 1995 and 1999. Nigeria currently holds the chair of the regional IGO, Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS and ECOMOG, its military arm. Nigeria is a key member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC which it joined in July, 1971. Nigeria retains her membership of the "non-aligned" nations.

Nigeria is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the U.S.-military (as covered under Article 98). Mortimer Africa- Dispatches from a fragile continent by Blaine Harden P271 Big Black Hope Africa- The People and politics of an emerging continent by Sanford J Ungar (P121 Nigeria, Black Power) The Africans, A triple Heritage- Ali A. Mazrui Modern Nigeria- Guy Arnold The Africans- David Lamb.

Military of Nigeria

The military in Nigeria have played a major role in the country's history since independence.

Taking advantage of its role of sub-saharan Africa's most populated country, Nigeria has repositioned its military as an African peacekeeping force.

Active duty personnel in the three Nigerian armed services total approximately 115,000. Nigeria also has pursued a policy of developing domestic training and military production capabilities.

Nigeria has continued a strict policy of diversification in her military procurement from various countries. After the imposition of sanctions by many Western nations, Nigeria turned to the People's Republic of China, Russia, North Korea, and India for the purchase of military equipment and training.

Cities

Nigeria has dozens of major cities, which play an important role in Nigeria's culture, heritage, and economy:

Lagos - (Lagos State): The former capital, and Nigeria's most populous city and commercial centre. Satellite Map Abuja - (Federal Capital Territory FCT): Nigeria's current capital and newest city. Satellite Map

Geography and climate

Nigeria is located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria has a total area of 356,669 mi² (923,768 km²);

The highest point in Nigeria is Chappal Waddi at 7,936 feet (2,419 m).

Nigeria has a varied landscape.

Nigeria's main rivers are the Niger and the Benue which converge and empty into the Niger Delta, one of the world's largest river deltas.

Nigeria is also an important center for biodiversity. The drill monkey is only found in the wild in Southeast Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon.

Economy

Years of military rule, corruption, and mismanagement have hobbled economic activity and output in Nigeria and continue to do so, despite the restoration of democracy and subsequent economic reform.

Nigeria is a leading petroleum producer and exporter. Nigeria also has one of the world's largest proven natural gas and petroleum reserves and is a founding member of OPEC.

Mineral resources that are present in Nigeria but not yet fully exploited are coal and tin. Despite huge deposits of these natural resources, the mining industry in Nigeria is almost non-existent. Agriculture used to be the principal foreign exchange earner of Nigeria. So tragic was this neglect that Nigeria which in 1960s grew 98% of her own food and a net food exporter, now must import much of the same cash crops it was formerly famous for as the biggest exporter.

Like many Third World nations, Nigeria has accumulated a significant foreign debt. Nigeria defaulted on its debt as arrears and penalty interest accumulated and increased the size of the debt. However, after a long campaign by the Nigeria authorities, in October 2005 Nigeria and its Paris Club creditors reached an agreement that will see Nigeria's debt reduced by approximately 60%. Nigeria will use part of its oil windfall to pay the residual 40%. As of April 2006, Nigeria became the first African Country to fully pay off her debt (estimated $30billion) owed to the Paris Club.

The currency unit of Nigeria is the Nigerian Naira.

Nigeria also has significant production and manufacturing facilities such as factories for Peugeot the French car marker, Bedford the English truck manufacturer, now a subsidiary of General Motors, and also manufactures t-shirts and processed food.

Demographics

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa but exactly how populous is the subject of speculation.

According to the United Nations, Nigeria has been undergoing explosive population growth and one of the highest growth and fertility rates in the world. By their projections, Nigeria will be one of the countries in the world that will account for most of the world's total population increase by 2050. Presently, Nigeria is the ninth most populous country in the world, and even conservative estimates conclude that more than 20% of the world's black population lives in Nigeria.

Ethnic groups

Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. A number of Cubans settled Nigeria as political refugees following the Cuban Revolution.

Language

There are a total of 250 languages spoken in Nigeria which correspond with the estimated number of ethnic groups in Nigeria. The major languages spoken in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

Religion

Nigeria has a variety of religions which tend to vary regionally, this situation accentuates regional and ethnic distinctions but has often been seen as a major source of sectarian conflict amongst the population. All religions represented in Nigeria were practiced in every major city in the 1990s.

Culture

Nigeria has a rich literary history, both prior to British imperialism and after, as Nigerians have authored several works of post-colonial literature in the English language. The second African Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka is Nigeria's best-known writer and playwright.

Nigeria has the second largest newspaper market in Africa (after Egypt) with an estimated circulation of several million copies daily in 2003,

Entertainment in Nigeria

See also: Music of Nigeria and Cinema of Nigeria

Nigerian music includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. As a result, there are many different types of music that come from Nigeria. JuJu music which is percussion music fused with traditional music from the Yoruba nation and made famous by King Sunny Ade, is also from Nigeria. World famous musicians that come from Nigeria Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Lagbaja. Nigeria has been called "the heart of African music" because of its role in the development of West African highlife and palm-wine music, which fuses native rhythms with techniques imported from the Congo, Brazil, Cuba and elsewhere.

The Nigerian Film Industry also known as Nollywood is famous throughout Africa. 45 per 1000 births, compared to 8 per 1000 in the U.S.

Sport

Like many nations football is Nigeria's national sport. Nigeria's national football team, known as the Super Eagles, has made the World Cup on three occasions (1994, 1998, and 2002), won the African Cup of Nations in 1980 and 1994, and also hosted the Junior World Cup. According to the official July 2006 FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria is currently the highest-rated football nation in Africa and 11th in the world.

World Cup history

Nigeria has played in three consecutive World Cups.

USA 94

Nigeria's first World Cup appearance was in the 1994 USA World Cup. Nigeria qualified by leading the group stages with 6 points. Nigeria defeated Bulgaria 3 - 0, lost to Argentina 2 - 1, and defeated Greece 2 - 0. But Nigeria's race was cut short in the Round of 16, suffering a 2 - 1 defeat by Italy.

France 98

This was Nigeria's second World Cup outing.

Korea/Japan 2002

This was Nigeria's poorest World Cup outing;

Best international outings

One of Nigeria's best outings was in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics defeating Brazil 4 - 3 in the semi-finals and finishing with a 3 - 2 win over Argentina in the gold medal game.

Societal issues

Despite its vast government revenue from the mining of petroleum, Nigeria is beset by a number of societal problems due primarily to a history of inept governance.

Public health

The HIV/AIDS rate in Nigeria is much lower compared to the other African nations such as Kenya or South Africa whose prevalence (percentage) rates are in the double digits. Nigeria, like many developing countries, also suffers from a polio crisis as well as periodic outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and sleeping sickness.

Environmental degradation

Nigeria is a fast growing nation that has loads of resources.

Strife and sectarian violence

See also: Conflict in the Niger Delta

Due to its multitude of diverse, sometimes competing ethno-linguistic groups, Nigeria has been beset since prior to independence with sectarian tensions and violence.

In 2002, organizers of the Miss World Pageant announced that they would move the pageant from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to London in the wake of violent protests in the Northern part of the country that left more than 100 people dead and over 500 injured.

Education

See also: List of Nigerian universities

Courtesy of the oil boom years of the 1970s, tertiary education was expanded to reach every subregion of Nigeria. The Federal Government and the State Governments were previously the only bodies licensed to operate universities in Nigeria. Recently, licenses have also been granted to individuals, corporate bodies and religious bodies to establish private universities in Nigeria. The National Universities Commission (NUC) is the major accreditation body that enforces uniform standard and sets admissions capacity of every university in Nigeria.