General Information
Nigeria became independent on 1st October 1960 and operates a federal system of government. Abuja, a recently built administrative city, serves as the capital in an area known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There are 36 states and 774 local government areas including the FCT in the Nigerian federation. The country’s official name is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It shares boundaries with four Francophone countries: Republic of Cameroun to the east, Chad Republic to the northeast, Niger Republic to the north, Republic of Benin to the west and the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Bonny in the Atlantic Ocean to the South. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. The population is estimated at over 115 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.8% per annum. The national currency is Naira (N1 = 100 kobo).
Government
Presidential system consisting the Executive branch, headed by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Olusegun Obansanjo, a bicameral National Assembly (Senate - 109 members; House of Representatives - 360 members), and the judiciary consisting the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, State High and Magistrate Courts, and Customary Sharia Courts.
The Federation is made up of a Federal Government, 36 State Governments, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and 774 local governments.
History
In pre-colonial times, the area occupied by Nigeria was home to several empires and kingdoms among which were the Sokoto Caliphate, Benin, Borno and Oyo Empires and the Kwararrafa (Jukun) Kingdom. In the 19th century these areas fell under the British military campaigns for spheres of influence in the form of colonies. Later in 1914, the colonial authorities decided to bring the protectorates under one administration to form modern Nigeria. At independence, the country adopted the British Parliamentary system of government. The coup d'etat of 1966 that toppled the elected government marked the end of the First Republic and the enthronement of military rule. The military continued to rule until 1979, when an elected civilian regime was sworn in under the American Presidential system of government.
On 31st December 1983, the military struck again to end another experiment in civil democratic governance in the Second Republic. The military held on to the reigns of power for nearly 15 years before handing over power to an elected civilian government on 29th May 1999, headed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general who was instrumental in ending the Nigerian civil war. Nigeria was able to come out of that traumatic political experience and is now on the course of sustainable democratic governance.
Economy
Nigeria is the second largest economy in sub-Sahara after South Africa. It is one of the largest producers of crude oil in the world at 2.1million barrels per day. It also has enormous natural gas reserves, vast agricultural lands, natural resources and a dynamic private sector. Until the mid-late 1970’s, the Nigerian economy was based on agricultural and trading activities. Since then, it has become heavily dependent on earnings from oil, which account for more than half of Federal Government revenue and over 90% of export earnings. Agriculture however employs over two thirds of the population, and accounts for a third of the GDP. The Services are the other high contributor to Nigeria’s GDP (12.45%).
Population
The National Population Commission (NPC) 2006 Census shows that there are 140,000,000 Nigerians. The most populous cities are Ibadan, Kano and Lagos. Nigeria has several cities with populations that are close to or, in some cases, more than a million and are also important centres of administrative, commercial and industrial activities. Some states in Nigeria are more populated than many smaller African countries.
Climate
Nigeria is located in the tropics. It has six climatic zones: Mangrove Swamp, Swamp Forest, Rain Forest, Guinea Savannah, Sudan Savannah and Sahel Savannah. These spread from the coast in the south bordering the Atlantic Ocean and to the north up to the desert fringes. There are two main seasons—the dry season, lasting from November to March; and the rainy season, from April to October. Temperatures at the coast rarely rise above 32˚C (89.6˚F), although humidity can be as high as 95%. The climate further north is drier, with temperatures ranging from 36˚C (96.8˚F) to 42˚C (107.6˚F). During the rainy season, tropical thunderstorms are a periodic occurrence, especially along the coastal areas, but it is generally a period of cooler temperatures and more agreeable climate. The northern part experiences cooler temperatures during the harmattan season with temperatures falling to an average of 28˚C (82.4˚F).
Transportation
A good network of roads linking especially its major cities and state capitals services the country. In addition, Nigeria has a vibrant aviation industry in which the private sector is a key player. Apart from the government–owned Nigeria Airways, there are several private airlines serving travelers on both the domestic and international routes. Some of the private airlines specialise on cargo and non–scheduled charter services. There are a number of airports spread across the country servicing the airline industry some of which are of international standard. Most of the international airports are located in the busiest administrative, commercial and industrial centres of the country namely in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt to mention the prominent ones. Other airports are located in Ilorin, Yola, Calabar, Maiduguri, Owerri, Enugu, Ibadan, Sokoto, Jos, Makurdi, and Kaduna. Water transportation services also exist in the riverine areas, but are not fully developed. However, there is an enormous potential for developing the water transportation system such as the lagoon system in Lagos City.