Nigeria
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. Since
1991, its
capital has been the centrally-located city of
Abuja; previously, the
Nigerian government was headquartered in
Lagos.
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. The
Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the
Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the
1st millennium BC and the
2nd millennium AD. 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 and counter-coups.
The country's name first appeared in print in
The Times in
1897 and was suggested by the paper's colonial editor
Flora Shaw who would later marry
Frederick Lugard, the first Governor General of the Amalgamated Nigeria. The name comes from a combination of the words "
Niger" (the country's longest river) and "Area". Its adjective form is
Nigerian, which should not be confused with
Nigerien for
Niger.
Nigeria has had a unique history. More than 2,000 years ago, the
Nok people were producing sculptures. In
Kano and
Katsina, recorded history dates back to around 1000.
Hausa kingdoms and the
Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa. The
Yoruba kingdoms of and were founded about 700-900 and 1400 respectively. The Ifẹ produced the terra cotta and bronze heads, the Ọyọ extended as far as modern
Togo. The
Kingdom of Benin developed an efficient and renowned army. The Benin (Edos)are related to the Yoruba by history. The southeast produced the
Onitsha, Nri, and
Arochukwu kingdoms. The Nri kingdom reigned before slavery with Divine priests and powerful Ezenri. There was also the great Ogbunka kingdom which was noted for his ability to repulse every form of aggression. A prominent town they controlled was Igbo Ukwu which was home to
Bronze figures and was a burial site for Kings. Other kingdoms also flourished, like the
Calabar,
Opobo,
Bonny,
Brass, Elem kalabari and others which were controlled by the
Ijaw,
Efik,
Igbo, and
Ibibio.
Beginning in the 17th century Europeans established ports for slave trafficking. In the early 19th century the
Fulani leader
Usman dan Fodio united most areas in the north under the control of an Islamic
Fulani Empire centred in
Sokoto.
The
17th century brought
Portuguese traders to what is now the Lagos area. In fact, the name Lagos came from the Portuguese word for lagoon, resulting in the name of the area. However, it was the
British in the
19th century that established permanent settlement and control over the region. In
1901, Nigeria was made a British protectorate and remained under the control of Britain until its independence in 1960.
Nnamdi Azikiwe held the office of
Governor-General in 1960, and with the independence of the republic in 1963, he became the first
President of Nigeria.
 |
Map of Nigeria |
Ethnic and religious tensions following independence led to the
Nigerian Civil War and the start of intermittent democratic and military rule that did not end until
1999, when the democratic republic was permanently re-established with the election of
Olusegun Obasanjo as its current president. Recently, supporters of Obasanjo had tried and failed to extend
term limits following rejection by the national assembly. New elections are set for
2007.
With its economy and infrastructure devastated by years of military rule, corruption, and mismanagement, Nigeria is now reforming and rebuilding itself to be a modern, prosperous nation. It is taking advantage of its position as sub-Saharan Africa's most populous country to push for a more prominent role in African and international politics. Such examples are its chairmanship of
ECOWAS and the deployment of
peace keeping troops to
Liberia and
Sierra Leone, and the
African Union with troop deployments to the
Sudan. Nigeria is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations.
Despite these positive developments, problems abound in Nigeria such as endemic corruption and crime such as the
419 scams; ethnic and religious strife, particularly between Christians and Muslims in the northern half of the country, and
insurgents in the oil-rich
Niger Delta. The Niger Delta conflict is hampering Nigeria's oil production capabilities and is even affecting international
oil prices.
Nigeria is a
Democratic Republic modelled after the
United States, with
executive power exercised by the
president. The president's power is checked by a
Senate and a
House of Representatives, which are combined in a body called the
National Assembly. There is also a
Constitution. The current president of Nigeria is
Olusegun Obasanjo who was elected in
1999 following the restoration of democracy after several years of
military dictatorship.
The two major parties in Nigerian politics are the
People's Democratic Party of Nigeria and the
All Nigeria People's Party.
See also:
*
Federal ministers of Nigeria*
Federal Ministries of Nigeria*
Political Parties in Nigeria*
Government of NigeriaLaw
There are four distinct systems of law in Nigeria:
*
English Law which is derived from its
colonial past with Britain
*
common law, a development of its post colonial independence
*
customary law which is derived from indigenous traditional norms and practices
*
Sharia law, used only in the predominantly Hausa and Muslim north of the country
While there was some controversy with the implementation of Sharia law, the legal systems seemingly work, although the practice of sharia is unconstitutionally forced on non Muslims. There is a
Judicial branch with a
Supreme Court which is regarded as the highest court of the land.
 |
Nigerian troops |
Foreign relations
Nigeria is currently in better foreign relations due to its current state of democracy and with the help of the current president Obasanjo. It is a member of the
African Union and sits on that organization's
Peace and Security Council. Since
1960 Nigeria has been a member of the
UN and also joined the
Commonwealth of Nations the same year, however they were briefly suspended between
1995 and
1999. It currently is the chair of the regional
IGO,
Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS and
ECOMOG, its military arm. Both are presently headquartered in the capital Abuja.
Nigeria is also a member of the
International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the
US-military (as covered under
Article 98).
Military of Nigeria
The military of Nigeria has played a major role in the country's history, often seizing control of the country and ruling it through major periods of its history. Its last period of rule ended in
1999 following the death of the leader of the previous military
junta Sani Abacha in
1998.
Taking advantage of its role of sub-saharan Africa's most populated country, Nigeria has repositioned its military as an African peacekeeping force. Since 1995, the Nigerian military through ECOMOG mandates have been deployed as peacekeepers in
Liberia (1997),
Ivory Coast (1997-1999),
Sierra Leone 1997-1999, and presently in
Sudan's
Darfur region under an African Union mandate.
Active duty personnel in the three Nigerian armed services is total approximately 76,000. The
Nigerian Army, the largest of the services, has about 60,000 personnel deployed in two mechanized infantry divisions, one composite division (airborne and amphibious), the
Lagos Garrison Command (a division size unit), and the Abuja-based Brigade of Guards. It has demonstrated its capability to mobilize, deploy, and sustain battalions in support of peacekeeping operations in
Liberia,
former Yugoslavia,
Angola,
Rwanda,
Somalia, and
Sierra Leone. The
Nigerian Navy (7,000) is equipped with
frigates, fast attack craft, corvettes, and coastal patrol boats. The
Nigerian Air Force (9,000) flies transport, trainer, helicopter, and fighter aircraft, but most are currently not operational. 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.
|
Map showing Nigerian states |
Nigeria is divided into 36
states and one
Federal Capital Territory. It is further sub-divided into 774 local authorities.
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.
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 largest city and commercial centre. Based on its estimated population, it is indeed the largest city in sub-saharan Africa and one of the largest in the world.
*
Abuja - (Federal Capital Territory FCT.) Nigeria's current capital and newest city.
*
Ibadan - (Oyo State) The third largest indigenous city in sub-Saharan Africa. Known for its local industries including food processing and cigarette manufacture.
*
Kano - (Kano State) The second largest city in northern Nigeria and an industrial centre.
*
Port Harcourt - (Rivers State) As well as being the fourth largest city in Nigeria. Port Harcourt has two of the four refineries in Nigeria and it is the place where most oil business transaction takes place. This makes it one of the most important cities in Nigeria as oil is the most important commodity in Nigeria and the main source of foreign exchange in Nigeria.
Located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria has a total area of 356,669
square miles (923,768
km²); of that around 5,000 square miles (13,100 km²) is water. Nigeria has a 2,515
mile (4,047 km) border that it shares with Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
The highest point in Nigeria is
Chappal Waddi at 7,936
feet (2,419 m).
Nigeria has a varied landscape. From the
Obudu Hills in the southeast through the beaches in the south, the
rainforest, the
Lagos estuary and
savanna in the middle and southwest of the country and the
Sahel and the encroaching
Sahara Desert in the extreme north.
Nigeria's main rivers are the
Niger, the
Benue which converge and empty out in the
Niger Delta, one of the world's largest river deltas.
Nigeria is also an important centre for
biodiversity. It is widely believed that the areas surrounding
Calabar, Cross River State contain the world's largest diversity of
butterflies. The
drill monkey is only found in the wild in Southeast Nigeria and neighbouring
Cameroon.
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. According to the
Economist Intelligence Unit and the
World Bank, Nigerian
GDP at
purchasing power parity was only at $170.7 billion as of FY
2005. The GDP per head is at $692. [
1]
Nigeria is a leading
petroleum producer and exporter. It is the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and the 8th largest exporter. Nigeria also has one of the world's largest proven
natural gas and petroleum reserves and is a founding member of
OPEC. However, due to crumbling infrastructure, ongoing civil strife in the
Niger Delta- its main oil producing region- and corruption, oil production and export is not at 100% capacity.
More mineral resources that are present in Nigeria but not yet fully exploited are
coal and
tin. Other natural resources in the country include iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, and arable land. Agricultural products include
groundnuts,
palm oil,
cocoa,
coconut,
citrus fruits,
maize,
millet,
cassava,
yams and
sugar cane. It also has a booming leather and textile industry, with industries located in Kano, Abeokuta, Onitsha, and Lagos.
Like many third world nations, Nigeria has accumulated a significant foreign debt. However many of the projects financed by these debts were inefficient, bedevilled by corruption or failed to live up to expectations. 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%. This deal will free up at least $1.15 billion annually for poverty reduction programmes. 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.
|
Population density in Nigeria |
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa but exactly how populous is the subject of speculation. The
United Nations estimates that the population in
2004 was at 131,530,000 [
2], with the population distributed as 48.3% Urban and 51.7% rural and population density at 139 people per square km. National census results in the past few decades have been disputed.
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. [
3]. According to current data, one out of every four Africans are Nigerian. [
4] 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. The largest ethnic groups are the
Hausa,
Fulani,
Yoruba,
Igbo (Ibo),
Ijaw,
Kanuri,
Ibibio, and
Tiv.
[[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni.html CIA - The World Factbook-- Nigeria]. Retrieved June 29, 2006.]There are small minorities of
Afrikaners,
English,
Americans,
East Indians,
Chinese,
Japanese,
Lebanese and refugees and immigrants from other West African nations. These minorities mostly reside in major cities such as
Lagos and
Abuja, or in the
Niger Delta as employees for the major oil companies. A number of
Cubans settled Nigeria as political refugees following the
Cuban Revolution. A number of them include
Afro-Cubans and mixed-raced Cubans.
Language
There are a total of 250 languages spoken in Nigeria which correspond with the estimated number of ethnic groups in Nigeria. To facilitate cultural and linguistic unity,
English was chosen as the official language. The major languages spoken in Nigeria are
Hausa,
Yoruba, and
Igbo.
Religion
Nigerians adhere to a variety of religions which tend vary regionally, this situation accentuates regional and ethnic distinctions but has often times been seen as a major source of sectarian conflict amongst the population. All religions represented in Nigeria were practised in every major city in the 1990s.
Islam dominates in the north with some northern states having incorporated
Shari'a law amid much controversy. Nigeria also has one of the largest
Shi'a populations in Africa.
Protestantism and local
syncretic Christianity predominate in
Yoruba areas, while
Catholicism has a strong historical presence amongst the
Igbo and closely-related ethnic groups. Indigenous Beliefs such as
Orisha and
Voodou are still widely held amongst the Yoruba and other ethnic groups in the southwest of the country. Recently however, such worship has undergone significant decline, as many adherents are being converted to Christianity. Christianity is undergoing a major resurgence in the country, particularly following visits by Pope
John Paul II in the 1990s.
Judaism is also present in Nigeria, practised largely by people of the Igbo ethnic group (see
Jews of Nigeria) who have an oral tradition of having originated from certain of the
Lost tribes of Israel. [
5]
Nigerian literature
Nigeria has a rich literary history, both prior to British imperialism and after, as Nigerians have authored several monumental works of
post-colonial literature in the
English language. The first African
Nobel Laureate,
Wole Soyinka is Nigeria's most well known writer and playwright. Other Nigerian
writers and
poets who are well known on the international stage are
Chinua Achebe,
John Pepper Clark,
Ben Okri, and
Ken Saro Wiwa who was executed in
1995 by the military regime.
Nigeria has the largest newspaper market in Africa with an estimated circulation of at least 3.3 million copies daily in 2003.
Entertainment in Nigeria
Nigerian music includes many kinds of
folk and
popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Styles of folk music are related to the multitudes of
ethnic groups in the country, each with their own techniques, instruments and songs. As a result, there are many different types of music that come from Nigeria. Many late 20th century musicians such as
Fela Kuti have famously fused cultural elements of various
indigenous music with American
Jazz and
Soul to form
Afrobeat music.
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. There is also a budding
hip hop movement. World famous musicians that come from Nigeria
Fela Kuti,
Femi Kuti,
King Sunny Ade,
Ebenezer Obey. 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. Many of the
film studios are based in Lagos and Abuja and the industry is now a very lucrative income for these cities. As opposed to
cinemas, the industry relies heavily on selling
VCD's or what are often known as home movies. The movies are normally based around domestic issues though some have ventured further, this has led to some commentators branding the story lines as being trite.
Like many nations
football is Nigeria's national sport. There is also a local
Premier League of football. 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. They won the gold medal for football in the
1996 Summer Olympics and various other junior international competitions. 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. Nigeria started out good in the group stages by defeating the Spaniards 3 - 2 and defeating Bulgaria by 1 - 0, but lost to Paraguay 3 - 1. Nigeria topped the group into the Round of 16, but failed to move on into the quarter- finals with a 4 - 1 defeat by Denmark.
Korea/Japan 2002
This was Nigeria's poorest World Cup outing; they were defeated in their first two games, but managed to get 1 point through a 0 - 0 draw with England.
Best International Outing
Nigeria's best outing was in the Atlanta '96 Olympic finals defeating Brazil 4 -3 in the semi-finals and won the Gold medal by beating Argentina 3 - 2 in the finals.
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. Some of these problems are listed below.
Crime
Nigeria is widely associated with international
419 scams or advance fee fraud, a fraudulent scheme to extract money from victims after making them believe they will gain an immense fortune. As an example, one of these scams would start out as saying "The former president of (a country or organization) just died and his wife needs a way of wiring money into an American bank for her use...She will give 10% of the funds to you for using YOUR bank account specifically as long as you give her $5,000 up front so she knows you are trustworthy..." Many of them are complimenting of the person reading the message and use phrases such as "your keen business sensibilities", "we heard you are a trustworthy business partner", and more. People still frequently fall for scams such as this. The origin of the 419 scam is currently debated, but the term "419" is based on the section it is written under in Nigerian law (section 419). Many critics believe that the scam slowly began in Nigeria, possibly developing from earlier forms of fraud practised by Nigerian
petroleum companies, criminal gangs, and government agencies in the
1970s or
1980s. The modern 419 scam well predated the widespread use of e-mail, and earlier variants were often sent via fax or even
Telex. In recent years the 419ers as they are also known, have come to use the
internet as a major tool for their scam, whereas before letters or phone calls were used. [
6]
The failure of the Federal Government to exercise effective law enforcement has led to the emergence of numerous popular vigilante groups. Some, such as the
Bakassi Boys in southeastern Nigeria, enjoy the open endorsement of state governments.
Public health
While the
HIV/
AIDS rate in Nigeria is much lower compared to the other African nations, because of its large population, Nigeria has a much higher percentage of total HIV/AIDS patients worldwide as it currently the third highest in the world. [
7] Nigeria, like many developing countries, also suffers from a
Polio crises as well as periodic outbreaks of
Cholera,
Malaria, and
Sleeping Sickness. As of
2004, there has been a vaccination drive spearheaded by the
W.H.O to combat
Polio and
Malaria that was met with controversy in some regions. [
8]
Environmental degradation
Strife and sectarian violence
Due to its multitude of diverse, sometimes competing ethno-linguistic groups, Nigeria has been beset since prior to independence with sectarian tensions and violence. This is particularly true in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, where both state and civilian forces employ varying methods of coercion in attempts gain control over regional petroleum resources. The civilian population, and especially certain ethnic groups like the
Ogoni, has experienced severe environmental degradation due to petroleum extraction. However, when these groups have attempted to protest these injustices, they have been met with repressive measures by Nigerian government and military forces. As a result, strife and deterioration in this region continues
as of 2006.
There are also significant tensions on a national scale, especially between the primarily
Islamic, highly conservative northern population and the more liberal
Christianized and indigenous groups who reside in the south. Extant animosity between major social groupings was exacerbated during the colonial era, as the
British utilized divide and rule tactics to subdue and facilitate governance over a diverse and agitated population. Following the victory of the Nigerian state in the
Nigerian Civil War during the 1960s, when the largely
Igbo southeast attempted to secede and form the independent nation of
Biafra.
Education
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.
List of Nigerian universities
Government*
Nigerian Government official site
*
National Population Commission of NigeriaNon-Nigerian Overviews*
BBC Nigeria Profile - Nigeria* [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni.html CIA World Factbook -
Nigeria]
*
US State Department " Nigeria includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
