Nigeria

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Introduction - Nigeria:
Country	Nigeria
Background	British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the defusing longstanding ethnic and religious tensions are a priority if Nigeria is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. General elections in April 2007 were considered significantly flawed by Nigerian and international observers but they marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the countrys history. President Umaru Musa YARADUA took office on 29 May 2007.
Location - Nigeria:
Location	Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates	10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references	Africa
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
Coastline	853 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use	arable land: 33.02% permanent crops: 3.14% other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land	2,820 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards	periodic droughts; flooding
Environment current issues	soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography note	the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
People - Nigeria:
Population	135,031,164 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 2007 est.)
Age structure	0-14 years: 42.2% (male 28,726,380/female 28,301,729) 15-64 years: 54.7% (male 37,543,678/female 36,277,038) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,987,521/female 2,194,818) (2007 est.)
Median age	total: 18.7 years male: 18.8 years female: 18.6 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	2.379% (2007 est.)
Birth rate	40.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate	16.68 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate	0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.015 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.035 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.906 male(s)/female total population: 1.022 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate	total: 95.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 88.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 47.44 years male: 46.83 years female: 48.07 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate	5.45 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	5.4% (2003 est.)
Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	3.6 million (2003 est.)
Hiv aids deaths	310,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality	noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
Ethnic groups	Nigeria, Africas 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: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
Government - Nigeria:
Country name	conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type	federal republic
Capital	name: Abuja geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions	36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, 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 (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Constitution	new constitution adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Legal system	based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch	chief of state: President Umaru Musa YARADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Umaru Musa YARADUA (since 29 May 2007) cabinet: Federal Executive Council elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Umaru Musa YARADUA elected president; percent of vote - official results not yet posted as of May 2007
Legislative branch	bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; 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 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - official results not yet posted as of May 2007; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - official results not yet posted as of May 2007
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
Political parties and leaders	Action Congress or AC [Bisi AKANDE]; Advanced Congress of Democrats or ACD [Alex ANIELO]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria Peoples Party or ANPP [Alh Modu SHERIF]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Umara AHMED]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [disputed leadership]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Professor George A. OBIOZOR chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400 FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador John CAMPBELL embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205 FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353
Flag description	three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
Economy - Nigeria:
Economy overview	Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigerias former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its 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 - Nigeria is Africas most populous country - and the country, 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 credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the countrys four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMFs Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt - relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigerias total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. GDP rose strongly in 2006, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices.
Gdp purchasing power parity	$191.4 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp official exchange rate	$83.36 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp real growth rate	5.3% (2006 est.)
Gdp per capita ppp	$1,500 (2006 est.)
Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 17.3% industry: 53.2% services: 29.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force	48.99 million (2006 est.)
Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate	5.8% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	60% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)
Distribution of family income gini index	50.6 (1996-97)
Inflation rate consumer prices	10.5% (2006 est.)
Investment gross fixed	26.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $17.86 billion expenditures: $19.05 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
Public debt	10.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture products	cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
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, small commercial ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate	-1.6% (2006 est.)
Electricity production	19.06 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity consumption	17.71 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity exports	20 million kWh (2004)
Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)
Oil production	2.451 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil consumption	290,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil exports	NA bbl/day
Oil imports	NA bbl/day
Oil proved reserves	36.25 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas production	21.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas consumption	9.21 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas exports	12.59 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas proved reserves	4.984 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance	$12.59 billion (2006 est.)
Exports	$59.01 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports commodities	petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports partners	US 49.9%, Spain 8.1%, Brazil 6.3%, France 4.3% (2006)
Imports	$25.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports commodities	machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports partners	China 10.6%, US 8.3%, Netherlands 5.9%, UK 5.7%, France 5.5%, Germany 4.5%, Brazil 4.4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$42.97 billion (2006 est.)
Debt external	$6.278 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid recipient	$250 million (1998)
Currency code	naira (NGN)
Exchange rates	nairas per US dollar - 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002)
Communications - Nigeria:
Fiscal year	calendar year
Telephones main lines in use	1.688 million (2006)
Telephones mobile cellular	32.322 million (2006)
Telephone system	general assessment: expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts at privatization domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth of this service; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; 4 wireless (GSM) service providers operate nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006 international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)
Internet country code	.ng
Internet hosts	1,549 (2006)
Internet users	8 million (2006)
Transportation - Nigeria:
Airports	69 (2006)
Airports with paved runways	total: 36 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports with unpaved runways	total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 18 (2006)
Heliports	1 (2006)
Pipelines	condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125 km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)
Railways	total: 3,505 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways	total: 194,394 km paved: 60,068 km unpaved: 134,326 km (1999)
Waterways	8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2007)
Merchant marine	total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414 DWT by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals	Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt
Military - Nigeria:
Military branches	Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2007)
Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for voluntary military service (2006)
Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 26,802,678 females age 18-49: 25,668,446 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 15,052,914 females age 18-49: 13,860,806 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 1,353,180 females age 18-49: 1,329,267 (2005 est.)
Refugees and internally displaced persons	refugees (country of origin): 6,051 (Liberia) IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJOs election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2006)
Military expenditures percent of gdp	1.5% (2006)
Disputes international	Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commissions admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries