Nigeria
Federal Republic of Nigeria
military governmentIndependence 1 October 1960 (from UK)
Nigeria as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between | Benin and Cameroon
14 fieldsLand useshare of 923,770 sq km
International disputes
- demarcation of international boundaries in vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria;
- dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the ICJ
Terrain
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
- lowest point:
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- highest point:
- Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Environment
- current issues:
- soil degradation;
- rapid deforestation;
- desertification;
- recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities
- natural hazards:
- periodic droughts
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling;
- signed, but not ratified - Desertification
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 45% (male 23,455,266; female 23,245,099)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 27,645,106; female 26,553,135)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 1,522,862; female 1,491,021) (July 1996 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:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions
non-Africans 27,000
- north:
- Hausa and Fulani
note: Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibos together make up 65% of population
- southwest:
- Yoruba
- southeast:
- Ibos
Government
Military government
21 fieldsType of government
- military government;
- Nigeria has been ruled by one military regime after another since 31 December 1983;
- on 1 October 1995, the present military government announced it will turn power over to democratically elected civilian authorities in October 1998
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;
- note - some new administrative units may have been created
Constitution
1979 constitution still in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented
Executive branch
- 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
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Armed Forces Ruling Council;
- Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee
Political parties and leaders
note: political party system suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993; the military regime has made successive promises to allow political parties to register at various times in 1996
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, C (suspended), CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE
- chancery:
- 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 986-8400
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
US diplomatic representation
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Walter C. CARRINGTON
- embassy:
- 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 554, Lagos
- telephone:
- [234] (1) 261-0097
Economy
The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be | hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic | management.
21 fieldsGDP composition by sector(1994 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 4,570,000 kW
Economic overview
The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides almost all foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues.
Regime officials also appear divided on how to redress fundamental economic imbalances that result in troublesome inflation, the steady depreciation of the naira, and the discouragement of investors. The government's domestic and international arrears continue to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief.
The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food.
Labor force
42.844 million; by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%
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
Agriculture
- cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams;
- cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
- fishing and forest 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
Imports
$7.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
- commodities:
- machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and animals
- partners:
- EC 50%, US 13%, Japan 7%
Exchange rates
naira (N) per US$1 - 21.886 (January 1996), 21.895 (1995), 21.996 (1994), 22.065 (1993), 17.298 (1992), 9.909 (1991)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 66 in all
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 387,552 GRT/636,578 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 1, cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)
Communications
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
9 fieldsTelephone system
average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress
- domestic:
- microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 1 coaxial submarine cable
Manpower availability
- males age 15-49:
- 23,739,192
- males fit for military service:
- 13,587,780
- males reach military age (18) annually:
- 1,065,410 (1996 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nigeria.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nigeria/1996.