Nigeria: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Capital

Abuja

Area

923,768 sq km

356,669 sq mi

Largest cities (population)

Lagos

11,100,000 (2005 estimate)

Ibadan

3,570,000 (2007 estimate)

Ogbomosho

861,300 (2007 estimate)

Kano

3,630,000 (2007 estimate)

Oshogbo

465,000 (1995 estimate)

Ilorin

464,000 (1995 estimate)

Abeokuta

416,800 (1995 estimate)

Zaria

369,800 (1995 estimate)

Ilesha

369,000 (1995 estimate)

Onitsha

362,700 (1995 estimate)

Iwo

353,000 (1995 estimate)

Ado Ekiti

350,500 (1995 estimate)

Abuja

452,000 (2003 estimate)

Population

138,283,240 (2008 estimate)

Population growth rate

2.38 per cent (2008 estimate)

Population density

152 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)

393 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

48 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

52 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

47.8 years (2008 estimate)

Female

48.5 years (2008 estimate)

Male

47.1 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

94 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

70.7 per cent (2005 estimate)

Female

63.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Male

77.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani

71 per cent

NOTE: Hausa and Fulani are mostly in the north, Yoruba in the south-west, and Igbo in the south-east

Other groups

29 per cent

Languages

English (official), Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Fulfulde, Edo, Efik, Idoma, Central Kanuri, Arabic, Ebira, Ibibio, many other indigenous languages

Religions

Muslim, Christian, indigenous beliefs

Type of government

Democracy

Independence

October 1, 1960 (from the United Kingdom)

Constitution

May 5, 1999

Voting rights

Universal at age 21

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

115,338 million (2006)

GDP per capita (US$)

797 (2006)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

23.3 per cent (2005)

GDP, industry

56.8 per cent (2005)

GDP, services

19.9 per cent (2005)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

11,408 million (1995 estimate)

Total expenditure

11,722 million (1995 estimate)

Monetary unit

1 naira (N), consisting of 100 kobo

Exports

Oil, cocoa, rubber

Imports

Machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, food and animals, iron and steel, paper, textiles

Major trading partners for exports

United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, France

Major trading partners for imports

Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, United States, France

Industries

Crude oil, mining (coal, tin, columbite); primary processing industries: palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries: textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, printing, ceramics, steel

Agriculture

Cash crops: cacao, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops-maize, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs

Natural resources

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

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.