Country Profile

Modern History
Facts and Figures
Education
Government
Economy
Geography
Environment
Industry in Nigeria
Technology
Arts and Sport

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Modern History:

Modern History:

Nigeria was under British rule until October 1960, when Nigeria gained its full independence. In July of 1966, Yakubu Gowon, a northern officer, became the country’s leader and divided the country into twelve states to help prevent the chaos and tension between different regions. In the following years, Nigeria became very wealthy through its reserves of oil with an output of about 2 million barrels a day in the mid-1970s. However, in the late 1970s, the price of oil dropped tremendously and Nigeria went through an economic crisis. Nigeria split into more states, nineteen states in 1979, twenty-nine in 1991, and now Nigeria has thirty-six states. Ibrahim Babangida, a military ruler, held a presidential election in 1993, but after seeing that Moshood Abiola would win, he canceled the election. This led to Nigeria’s first act of democratic movement. Nigeria experienced many obstacles in establishing their government and leadership through various types of tension after becoming an independent country, but they are improving and developing as they are the most populous country in Africa and can be one of the wealthiest as well with its large oil reserves.

                     Figure One: Nigerian Soldiers fighting in Civil War to gain independence

Facts and Figures

Facts and Figures:
·Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
.Capital: Abuja
. Ethnic Groups: over 250 ethnic groups including Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
. Population: 135,031,164
· Currency:Naira
· GDP: US$ 173bn
· GDP per heads: US$1,120
· Main Exports:Type: Oil, Gas, Vehicle parts, Rubber % plastics.
· Life expectancy: Men 48 yrs & Women 50 yrs
· Adult literacy: 61%

http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-Facts-and-Figures-on-Nigeria.html

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/nigeria.html

http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/2012-10-29-11-05-46/history-of-nigeria

http://www.ng.total.com/01_about_nigeria/0103_history.htm

Education

Education:

Children under 15 years of age account for around 45% of Nigeria’s population. This large number has made it difficult to effectively educate the children of Nigeria, but the education system, which is supervised by the State Government, is surely developing, improving, and recovering from the neglect of previous governments. In the formal education system, there are six years of primary school, which are mandatory, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four years of university education. Primary school starts at the age of six for most Nigerians. They are taught math, the English language, bible knowledge, science, and one of the three main native languages: Hausa, Yoruba, and Ibo. In 2004, the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was passed and it portrayed the Nigerian government’s strategy to fight illiteracy and extend basic education opportunities to all children in Nigeria. 

For more information about Nigeria's education system, visit these links:http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/nigeria_education_profile.htmlhttp://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1937.html

Government

Government:

The capital is Abuja and it currently has 36 states.  The president of Nigeria serves for 4 years as the head of the state, head of the government, and the head of the multi-party system. The current leader is Chief Executive Goodluck Jonathan.

 The law of Nigeria is based on rule of law, followed by the British rule in Nigeria. There are four distinct systems of laws in Nigeria. The first one is English Law, which is derived from its colonial past with Britain. The second, Common law, was developed after the British rule. Third is Customary law. These laws are developed from the traditional norms and practices. The last, Sharia Law, is used in the northern part of the country.

The government started to support Nigeria for economic growth in different methods. The first method is through trade liberalization. Trade liberalization makes for a friendlier atmosphere so the foreign countries will start businesses and make investments within the country. The Nigerian government also started allowing privatization, which made a positive impact in Nigeria’s manufacturing productivity and also allowed for improvement in the production of agricultural tradable goods (cocoa, cotton, groundnut, palm kernel, palm oil and rubber).  Second, the government helped with commercialization which ensures the productivity of the economy.  They transformed the government run business into private companies, increasing the productivity of the economy. Recently, the new Nigerian government approved projects to recapitalize the Bank of Industry (BOI is under mixed ownership with the majority of assets owned by the federal government) to develop finance institutions that will triple the total capital of the country.  The third method is by Capital requirements. Capital requirements help private enterprises borrow the capital they need for large public utility projects such as the construction of railways or airports. This helps the development of the country in the transportation sector which will eventually attract foreigners.

Economy

Economy:
Their GDP, using the purchasing power parity (PPP) is $413.4 billion with a GDP per capita of $2,578 and these values are increasing every year.  These values were calculated using the market exchange rate of $1=75.75 Nigerian Naira.   Over the last seven years, the Nigerian economy has had an average annual growth rate of 7% and this is largely due to the industry part of the economy, which mostly consists of oil production.  In the year 2013, the Nigerian economy is expected to expand still.  This is largely due to the government’s concentration on macroeconomic policies.  Nigeria is now ranked 30^th in the world according to GDP and has the second largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa.  If Nigeria keeps growing as it is now, it is on track to becoming one of the twenty largest economies by 2020.  

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Geography:

Nigeria is in Western Africa between Benin and Cameroon. Though it is not the largest country in Africa, it is the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria's capital is Abuja, and some major cities are Lagos and Benin City. The climate in Nigeria varies, but it is mostly tropical since it is located near the equator. Some of Nigeria's natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, and tin. 

Environment

Environment:

Nigeria has one of the worst environmental records in the world. In recent years, the country has seen the execution of a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, widespread social and environmental problems stemming from oil operations in the Niger River delta, and the world's highest deforestation rate. The Niger River delta of Nigeria is home to coastal rainforest, mangrove forest, and rich oil deposits. Nigeria also has one of the highest pollution indices in the world, standing at 93.97. Below is a link that breaks down each aspect of pollution in the country of Nigeria.
http://www.numbeo.com/pollution/country_result.jsp?country=Nigeria

Industry in Nigeria

Industry in Nigeria:

Petroleum, Mining, and Agriculture

            The petroleum industry is the main generator of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP). Nigeria’s oil revenue has totaled $340 billion in exports since the 1970’s. Although the country is a major oil exporter, it imports most of its gasoline.

            Agriculture in Nigeria is another major branch in the economy of Nigeria, providing employment for 70% of the population.  It is the second largest contributor to the country’s GDP. The agricultural industry is responsible for producing major crops that include beans, sesame, cashew nuts, cassava, cocoa beans, and more.

            One more source of Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 0.3% of its GDP, is it’s mining industry. In the mid 20^th century, Nigeria was a major producer of tin, columbite, and coal. However, the discovery of oil in the 50s caused government and industrial efforts to focus away from the mining industry and towards the new resource.

             

Technology

Technology:

When Nigeria declared independence in 1960, the idea of technological development started to unfold. Nigeria needed technological advancement to make learning and teaching more effective. Today, Nigeria is one of Africa's fastest growing telecoms markets. However, more than 95% of Nigerians do not have access to the Internet or a PC. Only 0.9% actually own PCs. Despite these facts, Nigeria is working on developing the technology throughout the country. There are organizations, such as Project Development Initiative (PRODA), that are helping in promoting the nation's drive towards self-reliance in science and technology. 

Arts and Sport

Arts and Sport:

Nigeria's artistic heritage emerged around 1897, when outsiders began to see Nigerian art. Some examples of Nigerian art are:

Nok Terras - Nok terras are believed to have been made between 500 BC and 200 AD and are presumably the oldest sculptures in Africa. The culture that developed these Nok terras influenced sculptures that were made later on in Western Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

Igbo-Ukwu Bronzes - These works of art are some of the earliest works of bronze, dating back to 600-1000 AD. The people of Igbo-Ukwu used different metals to construct these pots. 

Sports: Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in not only Nigeria, but all of Africa. Nigeria's national football team is nicknamed Super Eagles. Nigeria is qualified for the upcoming 2014 World Cup.

Other popular sports are boxing, basketball, running, and dancing. 

References:

http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcnigeria.htm

http://www.humanipo.com/news/3079/survey-shows-less-than-five-percent-of-nigerians-have-access-to-pc/

http://allafrica.com/stories/201311010515.html

http://www.onlinenigeria.com/artsandCrafts/

http://www.africastarnews.net/index.php/asn-sports-feed/205-the-5-most-popular-sports-in-nigeria.html