| Background: |
Following nearly
16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in
1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government
completed. The new 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. |
| Location: |
Western Africa,
bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
10 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more
than twice the size of California |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690
km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m |
| Natural
resources: |
natural gas,
petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead,
zinc, arable land |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
33%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 12%
other: 8% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
9,570 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
periodic droughts |
| Environment
- current issues: |
soil degradation;
rapid deforestation; desertification |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Population: |
126,635,626
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 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
43.71% (male 27,842,225; female 27,514,197)
15-64 years: 53.47% (male 34,456,738; female
33,259,194)
65 years and over: 2.82% (male 1,780,862;
female 1,782,410) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.61% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
39.69
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
13.91
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.28 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
73.34
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 51.07 years
male: 51.07 years
female: 51.07 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.57 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
5.06% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2.7 million (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
250,000 (1999
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% |
| 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: 57.1%
male: 67.3%
female: 47.3% (1995 est.) |
| 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, Abuja Federal Capital Territory*, Adamawa,
Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross
River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, 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,
1 October (1960) |
| Constitution: |
NA 1999 new
constitution adopted |
| Legal
system: |
based on English
common law, Islamic Shariah law (only in some northern
states), and traditional law |
| 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 27
February 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected
president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 62.8%,
Olu FALAE (APP-AD) 37.2% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats, three from
each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory;
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 20-24 February
1999 (next to be held NA 2003); House of Representatives -
last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - PDP 58%, APP 23%, AD 19%; seats by party - PDP 67,
APP 23, AD 19; House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - PDP 58%, APP 30%, AD 12%; seats by party - PDP 221,
APP 70, AD 69 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges appointed by the Provisional 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: |
All People's
Party or APP [Alhaji Yusuf ALI]; Alliance for Democracy or
AD [contested between Yusuf MAMMAN and Alhasi Adamu
ABDULKADIR]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Barnabas
GEMADE] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT,
UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Jibril AMINU
chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20036
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: 8 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (1) 261-0050, -0078
FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green |
| Economy
- overview: |
The oil-rich
Nigerian economy, long hobbled by political instability,
corruption, and poor macroeconomic management, is undergoing
substantial economic reform 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, and Nigeria,
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 loan from the IMF, both
contingent on economic reforms. Increases in foreign
investment and oil production combined with high world oil
prices should push growth over 4% in 2001-02. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $117 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $950 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
40%
industry: 40%
services: 20% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
45% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.6%
highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6.5% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
66 million (1999
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 70%,
industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
28% (1992 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$3.4 billion
expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| 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 |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
1.5% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
18.7 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
52.94%
hydro: 47.06%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
17.372 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
19 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cocoa, peanuts,
palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca),
yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish |
| Exports: |
$22.2 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum and
petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 36%, India 9%,
Spain 8%, Brazil 6%, France 6%, (1999) |
| Imports: |
$10.7 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery,
chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and
live animals |
| Imports
- partners: |
UK 11%, Germany
10%, US 9%, France 8%, China 6% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$32 billion (2000
est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA $250 million
(1998) |
| Exchange
rates: |
nairas per US
dollar - 110.005 (January 2001), 101.697 (2000), 92.338
(1999), 21.886 (1998), 21.886 (1997), 21.884 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
500,000 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
26,700 (1997) |
| 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: satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); coaxial
submarine cable SAFE (South African Far East) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 82, FM 35,
shortwave 11 (1998) |
| Radios: |
23.5 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2
government-controlled; note - in addition, in 1993, 14
licenses to operate private television stations were granted
(1999) |
| Televisions: |
6.9 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ng |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
11 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
100,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
3,557 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge
note: years of neglect of both the rolling
stock and the right-of-way have seriously reduced the
capacity and utility of the system; a project to restore
Nigeria's railways is now underway |
| Highways: |
total:
194,394 km
paved: 60,068 km (including 1,194 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 134,326 km
note: many of the roads reported as paved may
be graveled; because of poor maintenance and years of heavy
freight traffic - in part the result of the failure of the
railroad system - much of the road system is barely usable
(1997) |
| Waterways: |
8,575 km
note: consisting of the 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
and harbors: |
Calabar, Lagos,
Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 357,372 GRT/636,254
DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 10, chemical
tanker 4, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 1,
specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
36
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 29,940,922 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 17,201,367 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
1,375,112 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$360 million
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
10% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
delimitation of
international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the
lack of which led to border incidents in the past, has been
completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger,
and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime
boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula is currently before
the ICJ; tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone
dispute with Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon is currently
before the ICJ |
| Illicit
drugs: |
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
European, East Asian, and North American markets |
|
