Nigeria overview

Description:

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is made up of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Government and Politics

 

Head of State and Government:
President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, elected in 2007.  President Yar'Adua  is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Other notable officials of the Republic of Nigeria are as follows with the political parties they belong to in brackets:

 

• Vice President Goodluck Jonathan (PDP)
• Senate President David Mark (PDP)
• Speaker of the House Dimeji Bankole (PDP)
• Chief Justice Idris Kutigi

 

Below is a list of the current political parties in Nigeria:

1. Action Congress (AC)
2. Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD)
3. Alliance for Democracy (AD)
4. All Nigeria Peoples' Party (ANPP)
5. All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
6. Democratic People's Party (DPP)
7. Fresh Democratic Party (FDP)
8. Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy (MRDD)
9. National Democratic Party (NDP)
10. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
11. Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
12. Peoples Salvation Party (PSP)
13. United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP)

 

Population, ethnic groups and languages

 

Nigeria is well known for having a very large population of about 140 million people which is said to be the largest national population on the African continent.

 

The population is further broken down into approximately 250 ethnic groups where the major ones, namely Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, make up over 40 per cent of the total population.

 

The official language is English. There are also three indigenous languages spoken by the three predominant ethnic groups in Nigeria. These major ethnic groups are Yorubas in the west, Hausa in the North and the Igbos in the East.

 

In addition, "broken English" (Pidgin English) is spoken and understood by almost all Nigerians. It is a combination of the English Language and several indigenous Nigerian Languages.

Legal System

The legal system in Nigeria is based on the United Kingdom legal system following on from the colonial era. Islamic Shariah law is also practiced in some of the northern states. Customary law which is derived from indigenous traditional norms and practice, is also practiced.

 

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has a judicial branch, of which the highest court is the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

 

Geography/location

Nigeria is situated in the West African sub region and lies between longitudes 30 and 140 and latitudes 40 and 140. It has a landmass of 923,768 sq. km. It is bordered to the north by the Republics of Niger and Chad and to the west with the Republic of Benin. It shares the eastern borders with the Republic of Cameroon right down to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean forming the southern limits of the Nigerian Territory . About 800km of coastline confers on the country the potentials of a maritime power. Arable land is in abundance in Nigeria for agricultural, industrial and commercial activities.

 

Nigeria is divided roughly in three by the rivers Niger and Benue, which flow through the country from north-east and north-west to meet roughly in the centre of the country near the new capital Abuja. From here the united rivers flow south to the sea at the Niger delta area.

 

Climate

Although Nigeria is in the tropics, its climate varies from the tropical at the coast to sub-tropical further inland. There are two seasons, the rainy season (April to October) and the dry season (November to March). The maximum temperature in the coastal areas of the south can go up to 37°c while the absolute minimum temperature is 10°. The climate is drier further north where extremes of temperature range from 45° to 06° are common.

 

Natural Resources

Nigeria, is endowed with significant agricultural, mineral, marine and forest resources. The vegetation zones, abundant rain, surface and underground water resources and moderate climatic extremes, allow for production of diverse food and cash crops.

 

Over 60 per cent of the population is involved in the production of the food crops such as cassava, maize, rice, yams, various beans and legumes, soya, sorghum, ginger, onions, tomatoes, melons and vegetable. The main cash crops are cocoa, cotton, groundnuts, oil palm and rubber. Extractions from these for export and local industrial use include cocoa flour and butter, rubber crumb, vegetable oil, cotton fibre and yarn. The rain forests have been well exploited for timber and wood products of exotic and popular species.

 

Oil and Gas

 

Of the natural resources mentioned above, Nigeria is best known for its oil and gas production which has kept the country in the international spotlight.

 

Oil and Gas, by value, are the most important minerals. They are exploited and produced in the Niger Delta basin and offshore on the continental shelf and in the deep-sea of the territorial waters. Nevertheless, there are significant non-oil mineral deposits on land many of which have been identified and evaluated: coal, bitumen, iron ore, gypsum, kaolin, phosphates, limestone, marble, columbite, baryte and gold.

 

Currency

The Nigerian currency is Naira (N) and kobo (K). Where 100 Kobo equals to one Naira. Current currency denominations are in Naira notes of N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000. No kobo coins are in use at the moment.

 

Major Media Outlets
Press
BusinessDay, Champion, Comet, Daily Independent, Daily Sun, Daily Times, Daily Trust, Guardian, New Nigerian, Newswatch, Punch, Tell, This Day, Vanguard, various daily papers, weekly magazines and political magazines.

Television and Radio
Africa Independent Television (AIT), Channels TV, Degue Broadcasting Network (DBN), Galaxy TV, Minaj TV, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA),Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ray Power, Voice of Nigeria and Private Broadcasting.