Nigeria
Nigeria⌘K
Overview
- Background
- In ancient and pre-colonial times, the area of present-day Nigeria was occupied by a variety of ethnic groups with different languages and traditions. These included large Islamic kingdoms such as Borno, Kano, and the Sokoto Caliphate dominating the north, the Benin and Oyo Empires that controlled much of modern western Nigeria, and more decentralized political entities and city states in the south and southeast. In 1914, the British amalgamated their separately administered northern and southern territories into a Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.
Nigeria achieved independence from Britain in 1960 and transitioned to a federal republic with three constituent states in 1963 under President Nnamdi AZIKIWE. This structure served to enflame regional and ethnic tension, contributing to a bloody coup led by predominately southeastern military officers in 1966 and a countercoup later that year masterminded by northern officers. In the aftermath of this tension, the governor of Nigeria’s Eastern Region, centered on the southeast, declared the region independent as the Republic of Biafra. The ensuring civil war (1967-1970), resulted in more than a million deaths, many from starvation. While the war forged a stronger Nigerian state and national identity, it contributed to long-lasting mistrust of the southeast’s predominantly Igbo population. Wartime military leader Yakubu GOWON ruled until a bloodless coup by frustrated junior officers in 1975. This generation of officers, including Olusegun OBASANJO, Ibrahim BABANGIDA, and Muhammadu BUHARI, who would all later serve as president, continue to exert significant influence in Nigeria to the present day.
Military rule predominated until the first durable transition to civilian government and adoption of a new constitution in 1999. The 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 (since 1999) People's Democratic Party and assumed the presidency, marking the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. Presidential and legislative elections in 2019 and 2023 were deemed broadly free and fair despite voting irregularities, intimidation, and violence. The government of Africa's most populous nation 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 faces increasing violence from Islamic terrorism, largely in the northeast, large scale criminal banditry, secessionist violence in the southeast, and competition over land and resources nationwide.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 910,768 sq km
- Water
- 13,000 sq km
- Total
- 923,768 sq km
- 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
Land Use
- Other
- 4.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 19.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 76.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 40.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 8.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 27.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
- Coastline
- 853 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
- Mean elevation
- 380 m
- Irrigated land
- 2,188 sq km (2017)
- Major aquifers
- Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 4,477 km
- Border countries
- Benin 809 km; Cameroon 1,975 km; Chad 85 km; Niger 1,608 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- periodic droughts; flooding
- Geography note
- the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rainforests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
- Natural resources
- natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
- Area comparative
- about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California
- Geographic coordinates
- 10 00 N, 8 00 E
- Population distribution
- 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
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km
note - area varies by season and year to year
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
- Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
- Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Niger river mouth (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Niger) - 4,200 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 73.7% (2021 est.)
- Female
- 53.3% (2021 est.)
- Total population
- 63.2% (2021 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages
- Religions
- Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.88 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 33.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 19.1 years
- Total
- 19.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 19.6 years
Population
- Male
- 123,511,557
- Total
- 244,344,065 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 120,832,508
Nationality
- Noun
- Nigerian(s)
- Adjective
- Nigerian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 4.8% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 2.6% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 0.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 40.4% (male 48,856,606/female 46,770,810)
- 15 64 years
- 56.2% (male 66,897,900/female 66,187,584)
- 65 years and over
- 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 3,759,943/female 4,274,287)
- Ethnic groups
- 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 24.9% (2018 est.)
Child Marriage
- Note
- note: due to prolonged insecurity concerns, some parts of states, including Borno state, were not sampled
- Men married BY age 18
- 1.6% (2021)
- Women married BY age 15
- 12.3% (2021)
- Women married BY age 18
- 30.3% (2021)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 78 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 72.2 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 17 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 5.9 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 4.1% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 4.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 4.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 63.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 79.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 93.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 36.5% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 20.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 6.3% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 3% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 58.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 65.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 48.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.39% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 2.23 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 60.4 years
- Female
- 64.2 years
- Total population
- 62.2 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 993 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 41.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 62.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 81.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 58.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 37.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 18.1% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 4.49 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 3.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 15.946 million Lagos, 4.348 million Kano, 3.875 million Ibadan, 3.840 million ABUJA (capital), 3.480 million Port Harcourt, 1.905 million Benin City (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 8.9% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 20.4 years (2018 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 67.6% (2018 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 24.4% (2021 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and green
meaning: green stands for the country's forests and natural resources, and white for peace and unity
Capital
- Name
- Abuja
- Etymology
- the newly built city of Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital city in 1991; Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja, that was named after Abu JA ("Abu the Red") in 1828
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 9 05 N, 7 32 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Nigeria
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 15 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999
- Amendment process
- proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses and approval by the Houses of Assembly of at least two thirds of the states; amendments to constitutional articles on the creation of a new state, fundamental constitutional rights, or constitution-amending procedures requires at least four-fifths majority vote by both houses of the National Assembly and approval by the Houses of Assembly in at least two thirds of the states; passage of amendments limited to the creation of a new state require at least two-thirds majority vote by the proposing National Assembly house and approval by the Houses of Assembly in two thirds of the states
Country Name
- Etymology
- named for the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean; the name of the river probably comes from the local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen (big rivers)
- Conventional long form
- Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Conventional short form
- Nigeria
- Independence
- 1 October 1960 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- mixed system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
- Government type
- federal presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices)
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system
- Judge selection and term of office
- judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 70
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: the president is chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces
- Cabinet
- Federal Executive Council appointed by the president but constitutionally required to include at least one member from each of the 36 states
- Chief of state
- President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)
- Election results
2023: Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU elected president; percent of vote - Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (APC) 36.6%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 29.1%, Peter OBI (LP) 25.4%, Rabiu KWANKWASO (NNPP) 6.4%, other 2.5%
2019: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 53%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 39%, other 8%- Head of government
- President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023)
- Most recent election date
- 25 February 2023
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by qualified-majority popular vote with at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
- Expected date of next election
- 27 February 2027
- National holiday
- Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
- National color(s)
- green, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 2 (both cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Sukur Cultural Landscape; Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove
- Political parties
- Accord Party or ACC
Africa Democratic Congress or ADC
All Progressives Congress or APC
All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA
Labor Party or LP
New Nigeria People’s Party or NNPP
Peoples Democratic Party or PDP
Young Progressive Party or YPP
Legislative Branch
- Legislature name
- National Assembly
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Note
- note: Parliament voted in 2024 to revert to the former national anthem used from 1960 to 1978
- Title
- "Nigeria, We Hail Thee"
- History
- adopted 2024
- Lyrics/music
- Lillie Jean WILLIAMS/Frances BERDA
- National symbol(s)
- eagle
- 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, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- House of Representatives
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 360 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 2/25/2023
- Expected date of next election
- February 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 4.2%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- All Progressives Congress (APC) (180); People's Democratic Party (PDP) (116); Labour Party (LP) (35); New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) (19); Other (10)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 109 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 2/25/2023
- Expected date of next election
- February 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 3.7%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- All Progressives Congress (APC) (59); People's Democratic Party (PDP) (36); Labour Party (LP) (8); Other (6)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 362-6541
- Chancery
- 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 800-7201 (ext. 100)
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Samson Sunday ITEGBOJE (since 22 October 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- Atlanta, New York
- Email address and website
info@nigeriaembassyusa.org
https://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [234] (9) 461-4036
- Embassy
- Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja
- Telephone
- [234] (9) 461-4000
- Mailing address
- 8320 Abuja Place, Washington DC 20521-8320
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Richard MILLS, Jr. (since 25 July 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- Lagos
- Email address and website
AbujaACS@state.gov
https://ng.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINURSO, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
NIGERIA · LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives
360 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
360
Majority line
181
Largest party
Peoples Democratic Party
Parties
21
All political parties
Upper house
NIGERIA · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
109 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
109
Majority line
56
Largest party
Peoples Democratic Party
Parties
12
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
- Head of State
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Revenues
- $37.298 billion (2019 est.)
- Expenditures
- $59.868 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $69.091 billion (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $69.091 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $60.261 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $57.536 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $77.049 billion (2022 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $77.049 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $65.423 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $57.73 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- 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
- Labor force
- 113.35 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 11.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- nairas (NGN) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 358.811 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 401.152 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 425.979 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 645.194 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 1,478.965 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $45.009 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- largest African market economy; enormous but mostly lower middle income labor force; major oil exporter; key telecommunications and finance industries; susceptible to global energy price shocks; regional leader in critical infrastructure; primarily agrarian employment
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.1%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 3.9% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 3.1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 3% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- USA 10%, Spain 9%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, India 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 26%, Singapore 14%, Belgium 8%, India 6%, USA 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $9,087
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $5,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $5,600 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $5,700 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.3% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.9% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 3.4% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, taro, bananas, vegetables, sorghum, groundnuts (2023)
- Exports commodities
- crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, fertilizers, cocoa beans (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, tanks and armored vehicles, wheat, plastics, cars (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $17.2B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $1.019 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $6.423 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $17.215 billion (2024 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $187.76 billion (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 40.1% (2018 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 59.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 0.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 33.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 18.8% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 24.7% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 33.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 2.4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.318 trillion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.239 trillion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.275 trillion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.318 trillion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 3.7% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 5.1% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 6.5% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $35.564 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $32.035 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $38.612 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 29.6% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 47% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 20.4% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.9% (2018 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 26.7% (2018 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2018
- 35.1 (2018 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 17 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 600 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 1.322 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 1.326 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 2.144 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 1.514 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 36.89 billion barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 527,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 2.4 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 34.135 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 4.094 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 5.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 16.324 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 38.248 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 19.885 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 5.761 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 27%
- Electrification urban areas
- 89%
- Electrification total population
- 60.5% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 7.993 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 77.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 22.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 39% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state government-owned radio stations; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available; transition to digital completed in three states in 2018 (2019)
- Internet country code
- .ng
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 112,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 165 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 71 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 117,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 2
- Small
- 1
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Antan Oil Terminal, Bonny, Lagos, Pennington Oil Terminal
- Very small
- 24
- Total ports
- 28 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 23
- Airports
- 50 (2025)
Railways
- Note
- note: as of the end of 2018, there were only six operational locomotives in Nigeria primarily used for passenger service; the majority of the rail lines are in a severe state of disrepair and need to be replaced
- Total
- 3,798 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
- Standard gauge
- 293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
- Heliports
- 15 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 928 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 23, oil tanker 128, other 777
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 5N
Environment
- Climate
- varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Land Use
- Other
- 4.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 19.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 76.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 40.5% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 8.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 27.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 54.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 362.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 729.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 2,794.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 1,991.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 27.615 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 4.7% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; water, air, and soil pollution from oil spills
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 1.965 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 5.51 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 114.397 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 39.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 2.962 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 72.425 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 56 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 286.2 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- Tropical Timber 2006
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Nigerian military is responsible for defending against external aggression, maintaining the country's territorial integrity, securing national borders, participating in international peacekeeping and other security missions, suppressing insurrection, and aiding civil authorities in restoring order, as well as other duties such as providing humanitarian assistance; its primary concerns are internal and maritime security; in the northeast part of the country, the military is conducting operations against the Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa (ISIS-WA) terrorist groups, where it has deployed as many as 70,000 troops at times and terrorist-related violence has killed an estimated 35-40,000 people, mostly civilians, since 2009; in the northwest, the military faces threats from criminal gangs--locally referred to as bandits--and violence associated with long-standing farmer-herder conflicts, as well as BH and ISIS-WA terrorists; the military also continues to protect the oil industry in the Niger Delta region against militants and criminal activity and since 2021, has deployed troops alongside other security forces to quell renewed agitation in the state of Biafra; maritime security concerns include piracy and the protection of natural resources in the Gulf of Guinea
the Nigerian military traces its origins to the Nigeria Regiment of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison Great Britain's West African colonies; the WAFF (the honorary title "Royal" was added later) served in both World Wars; in 1956, the Nigeria Regiment of the Royal WAFF was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces (NMF) and in 1958, the colonial government of Nigeria took over control of the NMF from the British War Office; the Nigerian Armed Forces were established following independence in 1960 (2025) - Military deployments
- 180 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA); 200 Gambia (ECOWAS); 150 Guinea-Bissau (ECOWAS) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.6%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 0.6% of GDP (2024)
- Military and security forces
- Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN): Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy (includes Coast Guard), Nigerian Air Force
Ministry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC); Ministry of Police Affairs: Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory consists primarily of imported weapons systems from a range of countries, including Brazil, China, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Korea, Türkiye, and the US; Nigeria is developing a defense-industry capacity, including small arms, light armored personnel vehicles, and small-scale naval production (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- information varies; estimated 140,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa; Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (Ansaru)
Space
- Space agency/agencies
- National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA; established 1999); Defense Space Administration (DSA; established 2014) (2025)
- Space program overview
- has a national space program that focuses on acquiring satellites for agricultural and environmental applications, meteorology, mining and disaster monitoring, security, and socio-economic development; designs, builds (mostly with foreign assistance), and operates satellites; processes overhead imagery data for analysis and sharing; developing additional capabilities in satellite and satellite payload production, including remote sensing technologies; has a sounding rocket program for researching rockets and rocket propulsion, with goal of launching domestically produced satellites into space from a Nigerian spaceport by 2030; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya, Mongolia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the US, and Vietnam; has a government-owned satellite company and a small commercial aerospace sector (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 2003 - first remote sensing (RS) microsatellite (NigeriaSat-1) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia
2007 - first communications satellite (NigSatCom-1) built and launched by China (failed in orbit, 2008)
2011 - first domestically built remote sensing (RS) satellite (NigeriaSat-X) launched by Russia
2019 - inaugurated a geospatial data analysis center
2022 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration
2023 - first military reconnaissance RS satellite (DelSat-1) launched by China
Transnational Issues
Illicit Drugs
- Usg identification
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 3,709,022 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 127,131 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index32.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4132 / 190−9.02024-Q4
Civica Pulse−0.6as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.32as of 2024-Q494 / 170−0.032024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (42/100)as of 2024-Q4—−4.52024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Restricted press (47/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.548as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index25 / 100as of 2023145 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Nigeria — vintage 2026-Q1: Nigeria factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/nigeria
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata