{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "In ancient and pre-colonial times, the area of present-day Nigeria was occupied by a great diversity of ethnic groups with very different languages and traditions. British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy. After independence in 1960, politics were marked by coups and mostly military rule, until the death of a military head of state in 1998 allowed for a political transition. In 1999, a new constitution was adopted and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of institutionalizing democracy and reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through decades of corruption and mismanagement. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. National and state elections in 2011 and 2015 were generally regarded as credible. The 2015 election was also heralded for the fact that the then-umbrella opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, defeated the long-ruling People's Democratic Party that had governed since 1999, and assumed the presidency, marking the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. Presidential and legislative elections were held in early 2019 and deemed broadly free and fair despite voting irregularities, intimidation, and violence." } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "10 00 N, 8 00 E" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "923,768 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "910,768 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "13,000 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "4,477 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1608 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "853 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation" } }, "Climate": { "text": "varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north" }, "Terrain": { "text": "southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north" }, "Elevation": { "mean elevation": { "text": "380 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Atlantic Ocean 0 m" }, "highest point": { "text": "Chappal Waddi 2,419 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "78% (2011 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 37.3% (2011 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 7.4% (2011 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 33.3% (2011 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "9.5% (2011 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "12.5% (2011 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "2,930 sq km (2012)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "periodic droughts; flooding" }, "Environment - current issues": { "text": "serious overpopulation and rapid urbanization have led to numerous environmental problems; urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; oil pollution - water, air, and soil have suffered serious damage from oil spills" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "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": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Geography - note": { "text": "the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "219,463,862 (July 2021 est.)", "note": "
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Nigerian(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Nigerian" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Kanuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.7% (2018 est.)", "note": "Nigeria’s population is projected to grow from more than 186 million people in 2016 to 392 million in 2050, becoming the world’s fourth most populous country. Nigeria’s sustained high population growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future because of population momentum and its high birth rate. Abuja has not successfully implemented family planning programs to reduce and space births because of a lack of political will, government financing, and the availability and affordability of services and products, as well as a cultural preference for large families. Increased educational attainment, especially among women, and improvements in health care are needed to encourage and to better enable parents to opt for smaller families.
Nigeria needs to harness the potential of its burgeoning youth population in order to boost economic development, reduce widespread poverty, and channel large numbers of unemployed youth into productive activities and away from ongoing religious and ethnic violence. While most movement of Nigerians is internal, significant emigration regionally and to the West provides an outlet for Nigerians looking for economic opportunities, seeking asylum, and increasingly pursuing higher education. Immigration largely of West Africans continues to be insufficient to offset emigration and the loss of highly skilled workers. Nigeria also is a major source, transit, and destination country for forced labor and sex trafficking.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "41.7% (male 45,571,738/female 43,674,769)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "20.27% (male 22,022,660/female 21,358,753)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "30.6% (male 32,808,913/female 32,686,474)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "4.13% (male 4,327,847/female 4,514,264)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "3.3% (male 3,329,083/female 3,733,801) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "86" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "80.9" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.1" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "19.6 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "18.6 years" }, "male": { "text": "18.4 years" }, "female": { "text": "18.9 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.53% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "34.38 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "8.89 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "-0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "52% of total population (2020)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "4.23% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "14.368 million Lagos, 3.999 million Kano, 3.552 million Ibadan, 3.278 million ABUJA (capital), 3.020 million Port Harcourt, 1.727 million Benin City (2020)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.06 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "0.96 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.89 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "20.3 years (2013 est.)", "note": "note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
" }, "Maternal mortality rate": { "text": "917 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "58.23 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "63.67 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "52.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "60.87 years" }, "male": { "text": "59.07 years" }, "female": { "text": "62.78 years (2021 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "4.67 children born/woman (2021 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "16.6% (2018)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 92.6% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 63.6% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 77.9% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 7.4% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 36.4% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 22.1% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "Current Health Expenditure": { "text": "3.8% (2017)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "0.45 physicians/1,000 population (2016)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 80.2% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 39.5% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 59.7% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 19.8% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 60.5% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 40.3% of population (2017 est.)" } }, "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "1.3% (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": { "text": "1.8 million (2019 est.)" }, "HIV/AIDS - deaths": { "text": "45,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2020)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever" }, "water contact diseases": { "text": "leptospirosis and schistosomiasis" }, "animal contact diseases": { "text": "rabies" }, "respiratory diseases": { "text": "meningococcal meningitis" }, "aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases": { "text": "Lassa fever" }, "note": "note: adopted 1978; lyrics are a mixture of the five top entries in a national contest
" } }, "Economy": { "Economic overview": { "text": "Nigeria is Sub Saharan Africa’s largest economy and relies heavily on oil as its main source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenues. Following the 2008-09 global financial crises, the banking sector was effectively recapitalized and regulation enhanced. Since then, Nigeria’s economic growth has been driven by growth in agriculture, telecommunications, and services. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels; over 62% of Nigeria's over 180 million people still live in extreme poverty.
Despite its strong fundamentals, oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investment in oil and natural gas, and Nigeria's oil production had been contracting every year since 2012 until a slight rebound in 2017.
President BUHARI, elected in March 2015, has established a cabinet of economic ministers that includes several technocrats, and he has announced plans to increase transparency, diversify the economy away from oil, and improve fiscal management, but has taken a primarily protectionist approach that favors domestic producers at the expense of consumers. President BUHARI ran on an anti-corruption platform, and has made some headway in alleviating corruption, such as implementation of a Treasury Single Account that allows the government to better manage its resources and a more transparent government payroll and personnel system that eliminated duplicate and \"ghost workers.\" The government also is working to develop stronger public-private partnerships for roads, agriculture, and power.
Nigeria entered recession in 2016 as a result of lower oil prices and production, exacerbated by militant attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta region, coupled with detrimental economic policies, including foreign exchange restrictions. GDP growth turned positive in 2017 as oil prices recovered and output stabilized.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "0.8% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "-1.6% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "2.7% (2015 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "11.3% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "12.1% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "16.5% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B (2020)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "B2 (2017)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "B- (2020)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$1,032,048,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$1,009,748,000,000 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$990.7 billion (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$475.062 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$5,136 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$5,155 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$5,190 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars
" }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "18.2% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2016": { "text": "16% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2015": { "text": "12.3% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "21.1% (2016 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "22.5% (2016 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "56.4% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "80% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "5.8% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "14.8% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.7% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "11.9% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-13.2% (2017 est.)" } }, "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": { "Overall Ease of Doing Business score 2020": { "text": "86.2 (2020)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, vegetables, sorghum, groundnuts, fruit, sweet potatoes" }, "Industries": { "text": "crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "2.2% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "60.08 million (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "70%" }, "industry": { "text": "10%" }, "services": { "text": "20% (1999 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2017": { "text": "16.5% (2017 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2016": { "text": "13.9% (2016 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "70% (2010 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018": { "text": "35.1 (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1997": { "text": "50.6 (1997)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "1.8%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "38.2% (2010 est.)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "12.92 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "19.54 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "21.8% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "$10.38 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "$2.714 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2017": { "text": "$1.146 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Exports 2016": { "text": "$34.7 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "India 30.6%, US 12.1%, Spain 6.6%, China 5.6%, France 5.5%, Netherlands 4.4%, Indonesia 4.4% (2017)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber (2012 est.)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2017": { "text": "$32.67 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Imports 2016": { "text": "$35.24 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 21.1%, Belgium 8.7%, US 8.4%, South Korea 7.5%, UK 4.4% (2017)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$38.77 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$25.84 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$40.96 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$31.41 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "nairas (NGN) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "383.5 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "362.75 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "363 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "192.73 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "158.55 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "62% (2019)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "91% (2019)" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "30% (2019)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "29.35 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "24.72 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "10.52 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "80% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "1.989 million bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "2.096 million bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "37.45 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "35,010 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "325,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "2,332 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "223,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "44.48 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "17.24 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "27.21 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "5.475 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": { "text": "104 million Mt (2017 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "146,075" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "less than 1 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "184,013,243" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "88.18 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "one of the larger telecom markets in Africa; most Internet connections are via mobile networks; foreign investment presence, particularly China; market competition; LTE-A technologies available but GSM technology dominate; mobile penetration rate of 123% and 173 million subscribers; unified licensing regime; government committed to expanding broadband penetration; in Q1 2018, the Nigerian Communications Commission approved seven licenses to telecom companies to deploy fiber optic cable in the six geopolitical zones and Lagos; operators invest in base stations to take care of network congestion (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership base over 88 per 100 persons (2019)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, NCSCS, MainOne, Glo-1 & 2, ACE, and Equiano fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, "note": "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 phaseout 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 Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "61,774 (Cameroon) (2020)" }, "IDPs": { "text": "2,896,548 (northeast Nigeria; Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources) (2020)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF" } } }