Nigeria

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $172 million, about 1% of GDP (1992)

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.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 35, FM 17, shortwave 0

Radios

20 million (1992 est.)

Telephone 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

Telephones

492,204 (1990 est.)

Television broadcast stations

28

Televisions

3.8 million (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forest resources extensively exploited

Budget

revenues: $2.7 billion expenditures: $6.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1994 est.)

Currency

1 naira (N) = 100 kobo

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

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.

Electricity

capacity: 4,570,000 kW production: 11.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 109 kWh (1993)

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)

Exports

$9.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: oil 98%, cocoa, rubber partners: US 52%, EC 34%

External debt

$32.5 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $135.9 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 38% industry: 22% services: 40% (1994 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2.6% (1995 est.)

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%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

57% (1994 est.)

Labor force

42.844 million by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%

Unemployment rate

28% (1992 est.)

Area

total area: 923,770 sq km land area: 910,770 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Climate

varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Coastline

853 km

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

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 8 00 E

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

Irrigated land

8,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km

Land use

arable land: 31% permanent crops: 3% meadows and pastures: 23% forest and woodland: 15% other: 28%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 30 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

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

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

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

Constitution

1979 constitution still in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented

Data code

NI

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

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

FAX

[234] (1) 261-0257

Flag

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

House of Representatives

suspended after military takeover of 17 November 1993

Independence

1 October 1960 (from UK)

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

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

Legal system

based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly

Name of country

conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

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

Senate

suspended after military takeover of 17 November 1993

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type 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

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

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.)

Birth rate

42.89 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

12.71 deaths/1,000 population (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

Infant mortality rate

72.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.34 years male: 53.06 years female: 55.65 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 57.1% male: 67.3% female: 47.3%

Nationality

noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian

Net migration rate

0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

103,912,489 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.05% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

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.)

Total fertility rate

6.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 66 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 6 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 10 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 10 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 8 with paved runways under 914 m: 18 with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 12 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 112,140 km paved: 31,500 km unpaved: 80,640 km (1991 est.)

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.)

Pipelines

crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural gas 500 km

Ports

Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri

Railways

total: 3,557 km (1995) narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge

Waterways

8,575 km consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks