NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Nigeria

Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. Image File history File links Flag_of_Nigeria. ... Image File history File links Nigeria_coa. ... The flag of Nigeria was designed in 1959 and first officially hoisted on October 1, 1960. ... The Coat of Arms of Nigeria has a black shield with two white stripes that come together, like the letter Y. These represent the two main rivers flowing through Nigeria: the Benue River and the Niger River. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogising the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Nigerias present national anthem, Arise, O compatriots, Nigerias call obey was adopted in 1978 Arise, O compatriots, Nigerias call obey To serve our fatherland With love and strength and faith The labour of our heroes past Shall never be in vain To serve with heart and might... Image File history File links LocationNigeria. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, with an estimated population of 1. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country, be it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a wider area. ... Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people, and as a second language by about 15 million more. ... Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria by around 18 million people (1999 WA), the Igbo, especially in the southeastern region once identified as Biafra. ... Yoruba (native name Ã¨dÃ¨ YorÃ¹bÃ¡, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen BundeslÃ¤nder (federal states) A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. ... Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Flag of the President of Nigeria The President of Nigeria is the elected head of government and head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ... Umaru Musa YarAdua (born July 9, 1951 in Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria) is the 2nd President of Nigerias Fourth Republic. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... The Vice-President of Nigeria is the second-in-command to the President of Nigeria. ... Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (b. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... The President of the Senate is the presiding officer of the Senate of Nigeria. ... Seal of the Nigerian Senate David Mark is the President of the Senate of Nigeria. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria. ... Oladimeji Sabur[1] Bankole (born November 14, 1969) is a Nigerian politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the head of the judicial branch of the government of Nigeria, and presides over the countrys Supreme Court. ... Idris Legbo Kutigi (born December 31, 1939) is a Nigerian lawyer and judge. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2006). ... Image File history File links Red_Arrow_Down. ... Coloured world map indicating Human Development Index (2006) (colour-blind compliant map) This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report 2006, compiled on the basis of 2004 data. ... naira sign The naira is the currency of Nigeria. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving West Africa Time, or WAT, is a time zone used in western and west-central Africa (though not in countries west of Benin, which instead use GMT). ... â€œUTCâ€ redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... â€œUTCâ€ redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .ng is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Nigeria. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... The area codes in Nigeria vary between 1 (Lagos and Ibadan) and 3 (for GSM networks) digits long. ... A map displaying todays federations. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A constitutional republic is a state where the head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the governments power over citizens. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ... The Federal Capital Territory is the home of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... For other uses, see Border (disambiguation). ... Map of the Gulf of Guinea, showing the chain of islands formed by the Cameroon line of volcanoes. ...

The people of Nigeria have an extensive history, and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC.^[2] The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium AD. The Benue River or BÃ©nouÃ© River is the major tributary of the Niger River. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (light brown) vs. ... The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires. ... (1st millennium – 2nd millennium – 3rd millennium – other millennia) Events The Black Death Mongol Empires in Asia The Renaissance in Europe The Protestant Reformation The agricultural and industrial revolutions The rise of nationalism and the nation state European discovery of the Americas and Australia and their colonization European...

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the 9th most populous country in the world with a population of 135 million and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

History

The Nok people in central Nigeria produced terracotta sculptures that have been discovered by archaeologists.^[3] In the northern part of the country, Kano and Katsina has recorded history which dates back to around AD 999. Hausa kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa. Early history Migration & settlements History before 1500 First states (1500-1800) Igbo and Savannah states Colonization (1800-1960) 1960-1979 Independence, military rule, and civil war Civil War (1967-1970) 1979-1999 Second republic, more military rule (1999-present) Return of democracy Main article: Nigeria // Main article: Early Nigerian history... The two Nigerian Military Juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998 were a pair of military dictatorships in the African country of Nigeria that were led by the Nigerian Military, having a chairman or president in charge. ... Early history Migration & settlements History before 1500 First states (1500-1800) Igbo and Savannah states Colonization (1800-1960) 1960-1979 Independence, military rule, and civil war Civil War (1967-1970) 1979-1999 Second republic, more military rule History of Nigeria (1999-present) Return of democracy Long before 1500 much of... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Kano is the administrative center of the Kano State and the third largest city in Nigeria, in terms of geographical size, after Ibadan and Lagos. ... Katsina is an old city of Northern Nigeria 160 miles South East of the city of Sokoto, and 84 m. ... The Hausa are a Sahelian people chiefly located in the West African regions of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. ... The Kanem-Bornu Empire existed in modern Chad and Nigeria. ...

The Yoruba kingdoms of Ifẹ and Oyo in the western block of the country were founded about 700-900 and 1400 respectively. Yoruba mythology believes that Ile-Ife is the source of the human race and that it predates any other civilization. Ifẹ produced the terra cotta and bronze heads, the Ọyọ extended as far as modern Togo. Another prominent kingdom in south western Nigeria was the Kingdom of Benin whose power lasted between the 15th and 19th century. Their dominance reached as far as the well known city of Lagos which is also called "Eko" by the indigenes. The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (Ã¨dÃ¨e YorÃ¹bÃ¡; Ã¨dÃ¨ = language). ... IfÃ¨ (or IlÃ©-Ifáº¹Ì€, as it is properly known) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. ... Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name for a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... --168. ...

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Newly independent Nigeria's government was a coalition of conservative parties: the Nigerian People's Congress (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the Islamic faith, and the Igbo and Christian dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, who became Nigeria's maiden Governor-General in 1960. Forming the opposition was the comparatively liberal Action Group (AG), which was largely dominated by Yorubas and led by Obafemi Awolowo.^[4] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 448 Ã— 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1712 Ã— 2288 pixel, file size: 998 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Two very similar Okhapo variety of Manillas from Nigeria. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 448 Ã— 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1712 Ã— 2288 pixel, file size: 998 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Two very similar Okhapo variety of Manillas from Nigeria. ... Manillas are penannular (almost ring-like) armlets, mostly in bronze or copper, very rarely gold, which served as a form of Primitive Money or barter coinage and to a degree, ornamentation, amongst certain West African tribes (Guinea Coast, Gold Coast, Nigeria, etc. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic (1979-1983). ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (helpÂ· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Igbo, sometimes (especially formerly) referred to as the Ibo/Ebo, are an ethnic group in West Africa numbering in the tens of millions. ... National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), was a Nigerian political party from 1944 to 1966. ... Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (November 16, 1904 â€“ May 11, 1996), usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe, or, informally and popularly, as Zik, was the founder of modern Nigerian nationalism and the first President of Nigeria, holding the position throughout the Nigerian First Republic. ... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... In sociology and anthropology, an action group or task group is a group of people joined temporarily to accomplish some task or take part in some organised collective action. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. ... Obafemi Awolowo Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987) was a Nigerian politician and leader, a Yoruba and native of Ikenne in Ogun State of Nigeria, who started as a regional political leader like most of his pre-independence contemporaries. ...

An imbalance was created in the polity by the result of the 1961 plebiscite. Southern Cameroon opted to join the Republic of Cameroon while northern Cameroon chose to remain in Nigeria. The northern part of the country was now far larger than the southern part. The nation parted with its British legacy in 1963 by declaring itself a Federal Republic, with Azikiwe as the first president. When elections came about in 1965, the AG was outmaneuvered for control of Nigeria's Western Region by the Nigerian National Democratic Party, an amalgamation of conservative Yoruba elements backed heavily by the Federal Government amid dubious electoral circumstances. This left the Igbo NCNC to coalesce with the remnants of the AG in a weak progressive alliance.^[4] The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen BundeslÃ¤nder (federal states) A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. ... Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Flag of the President of Nigeria The President of Nigeria is the elected head of government and head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ... The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), was Nigerias first political party. ...

This disequilibrium and perceived corruption of the electoral and political process led in 1966 to several back-to-back military coups. The first was in January and led by a collection of young leftists under Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna & Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, it was partially successful - the coupists overthrew the embattled government but could not install their choice, jailed opposition leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo,^[5] General Johnson Aguiyi-ironsi, then head of the army was invited by the rump of the Balewa regime to take over the affairs of the country as head of state. This coup was counter-acted by another successful plot, supported primarily by Northern military officers and Northerners who favored the NPC, it was engineered by Northern officers, which allowed Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon to become head of state. This sequence of events led to an increase in ethnic tension and violence. The Northern coup, which was mostly motivated by ethnic and religious reasons was a bloodbath of both military officers and civilians, especially those of Igbo extraction. Current map of Nigeria from http://www. ... Current map of Nigeria from http://www. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... General Yakubu Jack Dan-Yumma Gowon (born October 19, 1934) was the head of state (Head of the Federal Military Government) of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. ...

The violence against Igbos increased their desire for autonomy and protection from the military's wrath. By May 1967, the Eastern Region had declared itself an independent state called the Republic of Biafra under the leadership Lt Colonel Emeka Ojukwu in line with the wishes of the people. The Nigerian side attacked Biafra on July 6, 1967 at Garkem signaling the beginning of the 30 month war that ended on January 1970.^[6] Following the war, Nigeria became to an extent even more mired in ethnic strife, as the defeated southeast and indeed southern Nigeria was now conquered territory for the federal military regime, which changed heads of state twice as army officers staged a bloodless coup against Gowon and enthroned Murtala Mohammed; Olusegun Obansanjo succeeded the former after an assassination. Categories: Africa geography stubs | Former countries ... The Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (born November 4, 1933) was the leader the secessionist state of Biafra in Nigeria (1967 - 1970), during the Nigerian Civil War. ... Buka Suka Dimka, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian army (an officer of the army physical training corps), led the February 13 1976 abortive military coup against the government of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed. ...

During the oil boom of the 1970s, Nigeria joined OPEC and billions of dollars generated by production in the oil-rich Niger Delta flowed into the coffers of the Nigerian state. However, increasing corruption and graft at all levels of government squandered most of these earnings. The northern military clique benefitted immensely from the oil boom to the deteriment of the Nigerian people and economy. As oil revenues fueled the rise of federal subventions to states and precariously to individuals, the Federal Government soon became the center of political struggle and the center became the threshold of power in the country. As oil production and revenue rose, the Nigerian government created a dangerous situation as it became increasingly dependent on oil revenues and the international commodity markets for budgetary and economic concerns eschewing economic stability. That spelled doom to federalism in Nigeria.^[7] The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. ...

Beginning in 1979, Nigerians participated in a brief return to democracy when Obasanjo transferred power to the civilian regime of Shehu Shagari. The Shagari government was viewed as corrupt and incompetent by virtually all sectors of Nigerian society, so when the regime was overthrown by the military coup of Mohammadu Buhari shortly after the regime's fraudulent re-election in 1984, it was generally viewed as a positive development by most of the population.^[8] Buhari promised major reforms but his government fared little better than its predecessor, and his regime was overthrown by yet another military coup in 1985.^[9] Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato (born May 25, 1925) was the President of Nigerias ill-fated Second Republic (1979 - 1983), after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjos caretaker government. ... Muhammadu Buhari (born December 17, 1942) was a military ruler of Nigeria (1983 - 1985) and an unsuccessful candidate for president in 2003. ...

The new head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, promptly declared himself President and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces and the ruling Supreme Military Council and also set 1990 as the official deadline for a return to democratic governance. Babangida's tenure was marked by a flurry of political activity: he instituted the International Monetary Fund's Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) to aid in the repayment of the country's crushing international debt, which most federal revenue was dedicated to servicing. He also inflamed religious tensions in the nation and particularly the south by enrolling Nigeria in the Organization of the Islamic Conference,^[10] General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born August 17, 1941), popularly known as IBB, was the military ruler of Nigeria from August 1985 until his departure from office under heavy popular pressure in 1993, after his annulment of elections held that year which were widely held to have been the freest and... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic or Revvoyensoviet (Ð ÐµÐ²Ð¾Ð»ÑŽÑ†Ð¸Ð¾Ð½Ð½Ñ‹Ð¹ Ð’Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ð½Ñ‹Ð¹ Ð¡Ð¾Ð²ÐµÑ‚, Ð ÐµÐ²Ð²Ð¾ÐµÐ½ÑÐ¾Ð²ÐµÑ‚) was the supreme military authority of Soviet Russia. ... IMF redirects here. ... The flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) OIC redirects here. ...

After Babangida survived an abortive coup, he pushed back the promised return to democracy to 1992. When free and fair elections were finally held on the 12th of June, 1993, Babangida declared that the results showing a presidential victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola null and void, sparking mass civilian violence in protest which effectively shut down the country for weeks and forced Babangida to keep his shaky promise to relinquish office to a civilian run government.^[11] Babangida's regime is adjudged to be at the apogee of corruption in the history of the nation as it was during his time that corruption became officially diluted in Nigeria.^[12] Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola) (August 24, 1937?, Abeokuta - July 7, 1998, Abuja), was a Nigerian YorÃ¹bÃ¡ businessman and political figure. ...

Babangida's caretaker regime headed by Ernest Shonekan survived only until late 1993 when General Sani Abacha took power in another military coup. Abacha proved to be perhaps Nigeria's most brutal ruler and employed violence on a wide scale to suppress the continuing pandemic of civilian unrest. Abacha was not only brutal but very corrupt.^[13] While Babaginda encouraged his friends, family and himself to steal money, Abacha made corruption a family affair. Money had been found in various western European countries banks traced to him. He avoided coup plots by bribing army generals. Several hundred millions dollars in accounts traced to him were unearthed in 1999.^[14] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Umaru Musa YarAdua (born July 9, 1951 in Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria) is the 2nd President of Nigerias Fourth Republic. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan was born on 9 May 1936 in Lagos, south-west Nigeria. ... Sani Abacha General Sani Abacha (Kano, 20 September 1943 â€“ Abuja, 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian politician and military leader. ...

The regime would come to an end in 1998 when the dictator was found dead amid dubious circumstances. Abacha's death yielded an opportunity for return to civilian rule. Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 when it elected Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba and former military head of state, as the new President ending almost thirty three-years of military rule (between from 1966 until 1999) excluding the short-lived second republic (between 1979-1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups d'état and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998. General (rtd. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (Ã¨dÃ¨e YorÃ¹bÃ¡; Ã¨dÃ¨ = language). ... Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Flag of the President of Nigeria The President of Nigeria is the elected head of government and head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. ... Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, Turakin Sakkwato (born May 25, 1925) was the President of Nigerias ill-fated Second Republic (1979 - 1983), after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjos caretaker government. ... Coup redirects here. ... The two Nigerian Military Juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998 were a pair of military dictatorships in the African country of Nigeria that were led by the Nigerian Military, having a chairman or president in charge. ...

Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development. While Obasanjo showed willingness to fight corruption, he was accused by others of the same.^{[attribution needed]}Umaru Yar'Adua, of the People's Democratic Party, came into power in the general election of 2007--an election that was witnessed and condemned by the International Community as being massively flawed. Ethnic violence over the oil producing Niger Delta region (see Conflict in the Niger Delta), interreligious relations and inadequate infrastructure are current issues in the country. Umaru Musa YarAdua (born July 9, 1951 in Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria) is the 2nd President of Nigerias Fourth Republic. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14 April and 21 April 2007. ... The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. ... Conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s due to tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Deltas minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the Ogoni as well as the Ijaw in the late 1990s. ...

Government and politics

Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president and with overtones of the Westminster System model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature. Politics of Nigeria take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Nigeria (Umaru Musa YARâ€™ADUA) is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... Country name: conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria Data code: NI Government type: republic. ... The Executive Branch of the Government of Nigeria has 19 Federal Ministries. ... The Federal Republic of Germany and its sixteen BundeslÃ¤nder (federal states) A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, in London. ...

The current president of Nigeria is Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was elected in 2007. The president presides as both Chief of State and Head of Government and is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two four-year terms. The president's power is checked by a Senate and a House of Representatives, which are combined in a bicameral body called the National Assembly. The Senate is a 109-seat body with three members from each state and one from the capital region of Abuja; members are elected by popular vote to four-year terms. The House contains 360 seats and the number of seats per state is determined by population. Umaru Musa YarAdua (born July 9, 1951 in Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria) is the 2nd President of Nigerias Fourth Republic. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... This article is about the political process. ... The Senate is the upper house of the National Assembly of Nigeria. ... The House of Representatives of Nigeria is the lower house of the countrys bicameral National Assembly. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The Senate is one of the two houses of the National Assembly of Nigeria. ...

Ethnocentricism, tribalism, sectarianism (especially religious), and prebendalism have played a visible role in Nigerian politics both prior and subsequent to independence in 1960. Kin-selective altruism has made its way into Nigerian politics and has spurned various attempts by tribalists to concentrate Federal power to a particular region of their interests.^[15] Nationalism has also led to active secessionist movements such as MASSOB, Nationalist movements such as Oodua Peoples Congress, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and a civil war. Nigeria's three largest ethnic groups have maintained historical preeminence in Nigerian politics; competition amongst these three groups, the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, has fueled corruption and graft.^[16] Ethnocentrism (Greek ethnos nation + -centrism) is a set of beliefs or practices based on the view that ones own group is the center of everything. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sectarianism refers (usually pejoratively) to a rigid adherence to a particular sect or party or religious denomination. ... Nigeria, like many nations throughout the world, deals with corruption. ... Flag of the Republic of Biafra The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) is a secessionist movement with the aim of securing the resurgence of the defunct state of Biafra from Nigeria. ... The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) is a militant Yoruba nationalist organization situated in Nigeria. ... The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is a militant indigenous peoples movement dedicated to armed struggle against the exploitation and oppression of the people of Niger Delta and the degradation of their natural environment by foreign multinational corporations involved in the extraction of oil in... Combatants Nigerian federal government Republic of Biafra Commanders Yakubu Gowon Odumegwu Ojukwu Casualties 200,000 soldiers and civilians Estimated 1,000,000 soldiers and civilians The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, July 6, 1967 â€“ January 13, 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ... The Hausa are a people of northern Nigeria and south-eastern Niger. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (Ã¨dÃ¨e YorÃ¹bÃ¡; Ã¨dÃ¨ = language). ... The Igbo, sometimes (especially formerly) referred to as the Ibo/Ebo, are an ethnic group in West Africa numbering in the tens of millions. ...

Due to the above issues, Nigeria's current political parties are declaredly pan-national and irreligious in character (though this does not preclude the continuing preeminence of the dominant ethnicities).^[17] The major political parties at present include the ruling People's Democratic Party of Nigeria which maintains 223 seats in the House and 76 in the Senate (61.9% and 69.7% respectively) and is led by the current President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua; the opposition All Nigeria People's Party under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari has 96 House seats and 27 in the Senate (26.6% and 24.7%). There are also about twenty other minor opposition parties registered. The outgoing president, Olusegun Obasanjo, acknowledged fraud and other electoral "lapses" but said the result reflected opinion polls. In a national television address he added that if Nigerians did not like the victory of his handpicked successor they would have an opportunity to vote again in four years.[1] Pan-nationalism is a form of nationalism distinguished by the large scale of the claimed national territory, and because it often defines the nation on the basis of a â€˜â€™clusterâ€™â€™ of cultures and ethnic groups. ... The Peoples Democratic Party is a centrist political party in Nigeria. ... Umaru Musa YarAdua has been governor of Katsina State in Nigeria since 29 May 1999. ... The All Nigeria Peoples Party is a conservative political party in Nigeria. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... General (rtd. ...

Like in many other African societies, Prebendalism and extremely excessive corruption continue to constitute major challenges to Nigeria, as vote rigging and other means of coercion are practiced by all major parties in order to remain competitive. In 1983, it was adjudged by the policy institute at Kuru that only the 1959 and 1979 elections witnessed minimal rigging.^[18]

Law

The country has a judicial branch, the highest court of which is the Supreme Court of Nigeria. English law is a formal term of art that describes the law for the time being in force in England and Wales. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... In law, custom, or customary law consists of established patterns of behaviour that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. ... This article is about Islamic religious law. ... Zamfara State is a state in Nigeria. ... Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. ... Katsina State is a state in northern Nigeria. ... Bauchi State is a state in northern Nigeria. ... Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. ... Kaduna State is a state in central northern Nigeria. ... Gombe is a state in north-eastern Nigeria, with its capital at Gombe. ... Sokoto State is a state in north-western Nigeria. ... Jigawa State is a state in central northern Nigeria. ... Yobe State, a mainly agricultural state, is located in Northern Nigeria. ... Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria. ... The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the close proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court. ...

States and local government areas

Nigeria is divided into thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory, which are further sub-divided into 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The plethora of states, of which there were only three at independence, reflect the country's tumultuous history and the difficulties of managing such a heterogeneous national entity at all levels of government. Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and one federal capital territory. ... Nigeria has 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ... The Federal Capital Territory is the home of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. ... Nigeria has 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). ...

States: Image File history File links NigeriaNumbered. ... Image File history File links NigeriaNumbered. ... Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and one federal capital territory. ...

Federal Capital Territory: Abuja Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. ... Adamawa is a state in northeastern Nigeria, with its capital at Yola, Nigeria. ... Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria. ... // Anambra is a state in south-central Nigeria. ... Bauchi State is a state in northern Nigeria. ... Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. ... Benue is a state in eastern Nigeria. ... Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. ... Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. ... All the main characters (except the man on the left) Delta State is a Canadian cartoon, based on a comic book, featuring four amnesiac roommates with the ability to enter the Delta State, an ethereal realm. ... Ebonyi State is an inland south-eastern state of Nigeria, populated primarily by Igbos. ... Edo State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. ... Ekiti State is a state in southwest Nigeria, created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha. ... // Enugu State is an inland state in southeastern Nigeria. ... Gombe is a state in north-eastern Nigeria, with its capital at Gombe. ... Imo is in Southern Nigeria and was created on February 3, 1976. ... Jigawa State is a state in central northern Nigeria. ... Kaduna State is a state in central northern Nigeria. ... Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. ... Katsina State is a state in northern Nigeria. ... Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria. ... Kogi is a state in the north-central zone of Nigeria. ... Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. ... // History Lagos State, Nigeria was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. ... Nasarawa or Nassarawa State[1] is a state in central Nigeria. ... Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. ... Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. ... [Olagunsoye Oyinlola|á»Œlagunsoye Oyinlá»la] (PDP) Date Created 27 August 1991 Capital Osogbo Area 9,251 kmÂ² Ranked 28th Population 1991 Census 2005 est. ... á»Œyá» State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. ... Plateau State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. ... Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. ... Sokoto State is a state in north-western Nigeria. ... Taraba is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. ... Yobe State, a mainly agricultural state, is located in Northern Nigeria. ... Zamfara State is a state in Nigeria. ... Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, with an estimated population of 1. ...

Nigeria has six cities with a population of over 1 million people (from largest to smallest: Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Benin City). Lagos is the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa, with a population of over 10 million in its urban area alone. For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... Kano is the administrative center of the Kano State and the third largest city in Nigeria, in terms of geographical size, after Ibadan and Lagos. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Location of Kaduna in Nigeria Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State. ... Port Harcourt is the capital city of Rivers State, Nigeria. ... Location of Benin City in Nigeria Benin City, a city (2006 est. ... The following is a list of the 50 most populous cities in Africa. ... This page lists the 100 largest metropolitan areas of the world, ranked by population. ...

Map of Nigeria This is a list of cities in Nigeria: Aba Abakaliki Abeokuta Abuja Ado Ekiti Agenebode Ahoada Akure Asaba Auchi Awka Azare Babaloma Badagri Bauchi Benin City Bida Birnin Kebbi Bonny Bori Calabar Damaturu Dutse Ede Effon-Alaiye Enugu Eket Epe Funtua Gboko Gombe Gumel Gusau Ibadan Idah...

Foreign relations and military

Foreign relations

Upon gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria made the liberation and restoration of the dignity of Africa the centerpiece of its foreign policy and played a leading role in the fight against the apartheid regime in South Africa;^[20] Nigeria's foreign policy was soon tested in the 1970s after the country emerged united from its own civil war and quickly committed itself to the liberation struggles going on in the Southern Africa sub-region. Though Nigeria never sent an expeditionary force in that struggle, it offered more than rhetoric to the African National Congress (ANC) by taking a committed tough line with regard to the racist regime and their incursions in southern Africa, in addition to expediting large sums to aid anti-colonial struggles. Nigeria was also a founding member of the Organization for African Unity (now the African Union), and has tremendous influence in West Africa and Africa on the whole. Nigeria has additionally founded regional cooperative efforts in West Africa, functioning as standard-bearer for ECOWAS and ECOMOG, economic and military organizations respectively. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Since independence, with Jaja Wachuku as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, later called External Affairs, Nigerian foreign policy has been characterized by a focus on Africa and by attachment to several fundamental principles: African unity and independence; peaceful settlement of disputes; nonalignment and nonintentional interference in... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... Flag of the Organisation of African Unity, later also used by the African Union. ... Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Largest city Cairo, Egypt Working languages Arabic English French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders - Chairman John Kufuor - Alpha Oumar KonarÃ© Establishment - as the OAU May 25, 1963 - as the African Union July 9, 2002 Area - Total 29... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded on May 28, 1975 when 15 West African countries signed the Treaty of Lagos. ... ECOMOG is a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ...

With this African-centred stance, Nigeria readily sent troops to the Congo at the behest of the United Nations shortly after independence (and has maintained membership since that time); Nigeria also supported several Pan African and pro-self government causes in the 1970s, including garnering support for Angola's MPLA, SWAPO in Namibia, and aiding anti-colonial struggles in Mozambique, and Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) military and economically. UN and U.N. redirect here. ... The MPLA flag The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour (Portuguese: Movimento Popular de LibertaÃ§Ã£o de Angola - Partido do Trabalho) is an Angolan political party that has ruled the country since independence in 1975. ... The South-West Africa Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) was founded, along with a number of other groups, as a liberation organisation: following the first world war, South-West Africa — formerly a German colony — was turned over to South Africa to rule as a mandate for the British. ...

Nigeria retains membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, and in late November 2006 organized an Africa-South America Summit in Abuja to promote what some attendees termed "South-South" linkages on a variety of fronts.^[21] Nigeria is also a member of the International Criminal Court, and the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was temporarily expelled in 1995 under the Abacha regime. Member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (2005). ... The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders - Queen Elizabeth II - Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment - Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926 - Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 - London Declaration 28 April 1949 Area - Total... Sani Abacha General Sani Abacha (Kano, 20 September 1943 â€“ Abuja, 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian politician and military leader. ...

Nigeria has remained a key player in the international oil industry since the 1970s, and maintains membership in Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC which it joined in July, 1971. Its status as a major petroleum producer figures prominently in its sometimes vicissitudinous international relations with both developed countries, notably the United States and more recently China and developing countries, notably Ghana, Jamaica and Kenya.^[22] The oil industry is a type of industry which brings petroleum to a financial market. ... Logo The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is made up of Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela; since 1965 its international headquarters have been in Vienna, Austria. ... Not to be confused with APEC. OPEC Logo The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an international cartel[1][2] made up of Iraq, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Angola, Algeria, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. ... The extraction and drilling of petroleum in Nigeria is the largest industry and main generator of GDP in the West African nation which is also the continents most populous. ... A developed country is a country that has achieved (currently or historically) a high degree of industrialization, and which enjoys the higher standards of living which wealth and technology make possible. ...

Millions of Nigerians have emigrated at times of economic hardship to Europe, North America and Australia among others. It is estimated that over a million Nigerians have emigrated to the United States and constitute the Nigerian American populace. Of such Diasporic communities include the "Egbe Omo Yoruba" society.^[23] A Nigerian American is an American citizen of Nigerian ancestry, typically themselves or children of African immigrants. ...

Military of Nigeria

The military in Nigeria have played a major role in the country's history since independence. Various juntas have seized control of the country and ruled it through most of its history. Its last period of rule ended in 1999 following the sudden death of dictator Sani Abacha in 1998. The Military of Nigeria has active duty personnel in three Nigerian armed services divisions totalling approximately 76,000 troops. ... From http://www. ... From http://www. ... Sani Abacha General Sani Abacha (Kano, 20 September 1943 â€“ Abuja, 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian politician and military leader. ...

Taking advantage of its role of sub-Saharan Africa's most populated country, Nigeria has repositioned its military as an African peacekeeping force. Since 1995, the Nigerian military through ECOMOG mandates have been deployed as peacekeepers in Liberia (1997), Ivory Coast (1997-1999), Sierra Leone 1997-1999,^[24] and presently in Sudan's Darfur region under an African Union mandate. ECOMOG is a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... Combatants JEM factions NRF alliance Janjaweed SLM (Minnawi) Sudan African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Commanders Ibrahim Khalil Ahmed Diraige Omar al-Bashir Minni Minnawi Luke Aprezi Strength N/A N/A 7,000 The Darfur conflict is a crisis in the...

Active duty personnel in the three Nigerian armed services total approximately 115,000. The Nigerian Army, the largest of the services, has about 99,000 personnel deployed in two mechanized infantry divisions, one armoured division, one composite division (airborne and amphibious), the Lagos Garrison Command (a division size unit), the Abuja-based Brigade of Guards and other regimental size units (e.g. artillery brigade). It has demonstrated its capability to mobilize, deploy, and sustain battalions in support of peacekeeping operations in Liberia, former Yugoslavia, Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, and Sierra Leone. The Nigerian Navy (7,000 members) is equipped with frigates, fast attack craft, corvettes, and coastal patrol boats. The Nigerian Air Force (9,000 members) flies transport, trainer, helicopter, and fighter aircraft, many of which are currently non-operational, but there is an ongoing policy of reorganization, and the provision of a very professional armed forces with high capability. Nigeria also has pursued a policy of developing domestic training and military production capabilities. Nigerian troops Military of Nigeria - Active duty personnel in the three Nigerian armed services is total approximately 76,000. ... Bold textIn shipbuilding, MEKO refers to a family of warships developed by the German company Blohm + Voss. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Nigeria has continued a strict policy of diversification in military procurement from various countries. After the imposition of sanctions by many Western nations, Nigeria turned to the People's Republic of China, Russia, North Korea, and India for the purchase of military equipment and training.

Geography

Nigeria is located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea and has a total area of 923,768 km² (356,669 mi²),^[25] making it the world's 32nd-largest country (after Tanzania). It is comparable in size to Venezuela, and is about twice the size of California. It shares a 4047 km (2515-mile) border with Benin (773 km), Niger (1497 km), Chad (87 km), Cameroon (1690 km), and has a coastline of at least 853 km.^[26] Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 8 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California Land... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1444x1156, 2590 KB) ECW to TIFF to PNG (compression level 9). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1444x1156, 2590 KB) ECW to TIFF to PNG (compression level 9). ... Imagine the smiley face in the top left corner as an RGB bitmap image. ... Satellite image of Congo, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (734x699, 128 KB) Summary Description: Map of the vegetation of Nigeria. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (734x699, 128 KB) Summary Description: Map of the vegetation of Nigeria. ... Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... â€œMilesâ€ redirects here. ...

The highest point in Nigeria is Chappal Waddi at 2,419 m (7,936 feet). Chappal Waddi is a mountain in Nigeria and, at 2,419 meters, is the countrys highest point. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Nigeria has a varied landscape. From the Obudu Hills in the southeast through the beaches in the south, the rainforest, the Lagos estuary and savanna in the middle and southwest of the country and the Sahel to the encroaching Sahara in the extreme north. The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Savannah redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Nigeria's main rivers are the Niger and the Benue which converge and empty into the Niger Delta, the world's largest river deltas. The Benue River or Bénoué River is the major tributary of the River Niger. ... The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. ...

Nigeria is also an important center for biodiversity. It is widely believed that the areas surrounding Calabar, Cross River State, contain the world's largest diversity of butterflies. The drill monkey is only found in the wild in Southeast Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon. Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... Calabar is a city in southeastern Nigeria. ... For other uses of the term butterfly, see butterfly (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Mandrillus leucophaeus Linnaeus, 1758 The Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) is a primate of the Cercopithecidae (Old-world Monkeys) family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the Mandrill. ...

Environment

Environmental degradation

Nigeria's Delta region, home of the large oil industry, experiences serious oil spills and other environmental problems. See Environmental issues in the Niger Delta for more details, and Conflict in the Niger Delta about strife which has arisen in connection with those issues. The extraction and drilling of petroleum in Nigeria is the largest industry and main generator of GDP in the West African nation which is also the continents most populous. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Environmental issues in the Niger Delta of Nigeria are related to its oil industry. ... Conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s due to tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Deltas minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the Ogoni as well as the Ijaw in the late 1990s. ...

Waste management including sewage treatment, the linked processes of deforestation and soil degradation, and climate change or global warming are the major environmental problems in Nigeria. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waste For the company, see Waste Management, Inc. ... Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. ... This article is about the process of deforestation in the environment. ... Retrogression and degradation are two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable soil. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ...

Waste management presents problems in a mega city like Lagos and other major Nigerian cities which are linked with economic development, population growth and the inability of municipal councils to manage the resulting rise in industrial and domestic waste. Haphazard industrial planning, increased urbanization, poverty and lack of competence of the municipal government are seen as the major reasons for high levels of waste pollution in major Nigerian cities. Some of the 'solutions' have been disastrous to the environment, resulting in untreated waste being dumped in places where it can pollute waterways and groundwater.^[27] Mega city may refer to various megacities or megalopoleis in fiction: Mega City (also known simply as The City), the virtual city created within the reality of the Matrix series. ... Air pollution Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (whether chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat, or light) into the environment to such a point that its effects become harmful to human health, other living organisms, or the environment. ...

In terms of global warming, Africans contribute only about one metric ton of carbon dioxide per person per year. It is perceived by many climate change experts that food production and security in the northern sahel region of the country will suffer as semi-arid ares will have more dry periods in the future.^[28] Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Economy

The currency unit of Nigeria is the Nigerian Naira. It has been suggested that Types of crude oil in Nigeria be merged into this article or section. ... Railways total: 3,557 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1. ... naira sign The naira is the currency of Nigeria. ...

Years of military rule, corruption, and mismanagement have hampered economic activity and output in Nigeria and continue to do so, despite the restoration of democracy and subsequent economic reform. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit and the World Bank, Nigerian GDP at purchasing power parity was only at $170.7 billion as of FY 2005. The GDP per head is at $692. [2] A military dictatorship is a form of government wherein the political power resides with the military; it is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military. ... This entity, also known as EIU is part of The Economist Group. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... PPP The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ...

Petroleum plays a large role in the Nigerian economy, accounting for 40% of the GDP. It is the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and the 8th largest exporter, and has the 10th largest proven reserves and the country was also a founding member of OPEC. However, due to crumbling infrastructure, corruption, and ongoing civil strife in the Niger Delta, its main oil producing region, oil production and export is not at 100% capacity. The extraction and drilling of petroleum in Nigeria is the largest industry and main generator of GDP in the West African nation which is also the continents most populous. ... Not to be confused with APEC. OPEC Logo The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an international cartel[1][2] made up of Iraq, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Angola, Algeria, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. ... The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. ...

Mineral resources that are present in Nigeria but not yet fully exploited are coal and tin. Other natural resources in the country include iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, and arable land.^[29] Despite huge deposits of these natural resources, the mining industry in Nigeria is almost non-existent. About 60% of Nigerians are employed in the agricultural sector. Agriculture used to be the principal foreign exchange earner of Nigeria. Perhaps, one of the most daunting ramifications of the discovery of oil was the decline of agricultural sector. So tragic was this neglect that Nigeria, which in the 1960s grew 98% of his own food and was a net food exporter, now must import much of the same cash crops it was formerly famous for as the biggest exporter. Agricultural products include groundnuts, palm oil, cocoa, coconut, citrus fruits, maize, pearl millet, cassava, yams and sugar cane. It also has a booming leather and textile industry, with industries located in Kano, Abeokuta, Onitsha, and Lagos. Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... This article is about the metallic chemical element. ... This article is about peanut, the food. ... Palm oil from Ghana with its natural dark color visible, 2 litres Palm oil block Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. ... For other uses, see Cocoa (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus aurantifolia - Key lime Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus Ã—sinensis - Sweet Orange Citrus Ã—aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus Ã—paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus Ã—limon - Lemon Citrus Ã—limonia - Rangpur lime Citrus Ã—latifolia - Persian lime See also main text for other hybrids Citrus... This article is about the maize plant. ... Binomial name (L.) R. Br. ... â€œYucaâ€ redirects here. ... Yams at Brixton market For the term yam as used in the United States, see sweet potato. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ...

Like many Third World nations, Nigeria has accumulated a significant foreign debt. Many of the projects financed by these debts were inefficient, bedevilled by corruption or failed to live up to expectations. Nigeria defaulted on its debt as arrears and penalty interest accumulated and increased the size of the debt. However, after a long campaign by the Nigeria authorities, in October 2005 Nigeria and its Paris Club creditors reached an agreement that will see Nigeria's debt reduced by approximately 60%. Nigeria will use part of its oil windfall to pay the residual 40%. This deal will free up at least $1.15 billion annually for poverty reduction programmes. As of April 2006, Nigeria became the first African Country to fully pay off her debt (estimated $30billion) owed to the Paris Club. For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... The Paris Club is an informal group of financial officials from 19 of the worlds richest countries, which provides financial services such as debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation to indebted countries and their creditors. ... The Paris Club is an informal group of financial officials from 19 of the worlds richest countries, which provides financial services such as debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation to indebted countries and their creditors. ...

Nigeria also has significant production and manufacturing facilities such as factories for Peugeot the French car marker, Bedford the English truck manufacturer, now a subsidiary of General Motors, and also manufactures t-shirts and processed food. Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot CitroÃ«n. ... Bedford was the first to use the Griffin logo Bedford Six WLG 2. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM or The General, an American multinational conglomerate corporation, is the worlds largest auto company by annual production volume for 2006, and the second largest by sales volume as of the first half of 2007, behind Toyota Motor Corporation. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, texture and flavor. ...

Demographics

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa but exactly how populous is a subject of speculation. The United Nations estimates that the population in 2004 was at 131,530,000 [3], with the population distributed as 48.3% Urban and 51.7% rural and population density at 139 people per square km. National census results in the past few decades have been disputed. The results of the most recent census by the Government of Nigeria have been released 29 December 2006. The census gave a population of 140.003.542. The only breakdown available was Total: 140.003.542 Men: 71.709.859 Women: 68.293.083 This does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (823x638, 44 KB) Summary Nigerian states by population density, english version of map from german wikipedia [1] Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Nigeria Demographics of Nigeria List of Nigerian states by population ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (823x638, 44 KB) Summary Nigerian states by population density, english version of map from german wikipedia [1] Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Nigeria Demographics of Nigeria List of Nigerian states by population ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to the United Nations, Nigeria has been undergoing explosive population growth and one of the highest growth and fertility rates in the world. By their projections, Nigeria will be one of the countries in the world that will account for most of the world's total population increase by 2050. [4] According to current data, one out of every four Africans is Nigerian. [5] Presently, Nigeria is the ninth most populous country in the world, and even conservative estimates conclude that more than 20% of the world's black population lives in Nigeria. 2006 estimates claim 42.3% of the population is between 0-14 years of age, while 54.6% is between 15-65; the birth rate is significantly higher than the death rate, at 40.4 and 16.9 per 1000 people respectively.^[30] Map of countries by population â€” China and India, the only two countries to have a population greater than one billion, together possess more than a third of the worlds population. ...

Health, health care, and general living conditions in Nigeria are poor. Life expectancy is 47 years (average male/female) and just over half the population has access to potable water and appropriate sanitation; the percentage is of children under five has gone up rather than down between 1990 and 2003 and infant mortality is 97.1 deaths per 1000 live births.^[30] HIV/AIDS rate in Nigeria is much lower compared to the other African nations such as Kenya or South Africa whose prevalence (percentage) rates are in the double digits. Nigeria, like many developing countries, also suffers from a polio crisis as well as periodic outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and sleeping sickness. As of 2004, there has been a vaccination drive, spearheaded by the W.H.O., to combat polio and malaria that has been met with controversy in some regions.^[31] A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... This article is about the measure of remaining life. ... E. Coli bacteria under magnification Sanitation is the hygienic disposal or recycling of waste, as well as the policy and practice of protecting health through hygienic measures. ... A live birth occurs when a fetus, whatever its gestational age, exits the maternal body and subsequently shows any sign of life, such as voluntary movement, heartbeat, or pulsation of the umbilical cord, for however brief a time and regardless of whether the umbilical cord or placenta are intact. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... Cholera (or Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ... Sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease in people and animals, caused by protozoa of genus Trypanosoma and transmitted by the tsetse fly. ... WHO redirects here. ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ...

Education is also in a state of neglect, though after the oil boom on the oil price in the early 1970s, tertiary education was improved so it would reach every subregion of Nigeria. Education is provided free by the government, but the attendance rate for secondary education is only 29% (average male 32%/female 27%). The education system has been described as "dysfunctional" largely due to decaying institutional infrastructure. 68% of the population is literate, and the rate for men (75.7%) is higher than that for women (60.6%).^[30] Literacy is the ability to use text to communicate across space and time. ...

Courtesy of the oil boom years of the 1970s, tertiary education was expanded to reach every subregion of Nigeria. ... Nigeria, a massive African nation, is organised into 36 states and a federal capital territory in Abuja. ...

Ethno-linguistic groups

Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. The largest ethnic groups are the Fulani/Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, accounting for 68% of population, while the Edo, Ijaw (10%), Kanuri, Ibibio, Nupe and Tiv comprise 27%; other minorities make up the remaining 7 percent.^[32] The middle belt of Nigeria is known for its diversity of ethnic groups, including the Pyem, Goemai, and Kofyar. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 657 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1522 Ã— 1388 pixel, file size: 64 KB, MIME type: image/png) {{Information File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 657 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1522 Ã— 1388 pixel, file size: 64 KB, MIME type: image/png) {{Information File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Fulbhe (singular Pullo) or Fulani is an ethnic group of people spread over many countries in West Africa,Central Africa and as far as East Africa. ... The Hausa are a Sahelian people chiefly located in the West African regions of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. ... The Igbo, sometimes (especially formerly) referred to as the Ibo/Ebo, are an ethnic group in West Africa numbering in the tens of millions. ... The Edo are an ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. ... The Ijaw (also known by the subgroups Ijo or Izon) are a collection of peoples indigenous mostly to the forest regions of the Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States within the Niger Delta in Nigeria. ... The Kanuri are an African ethnic group living in northeastern Nigeria in the state of Bornu. ... The Ibibio people are a tribe in southeast Nigeria. ... The Nupe are an ethnic group located primarily in the middle belt and northern Nigeria. ... The Tiv language is spoken by around 2 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. ... The Kofyar are a population in central Nigeria numbering around 50,000. ...

There are small minorities of British, Americans, East Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Syrian, Lebanese and refugees and immigrants from other West African or East African nations. These minorities mostly reside in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja, or in the Niger Delta as employees for the major oil companies. A number of Cubans settled Nigeria as political refugees following the Cuban Revolution. A number of them include Afro-Cubans and mixed-raced Cubans.^[33] Motto Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit) (Devanagari) Truth Alone Triumphs[1] Anthem Jana Gana Mana National Song[2] Vande Mataram Capital New Delhi Largest city Mumbai Official languages Union:3 Hindi and English States and others:4 Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Eastern Africa (UN subregion) East African Community Central African Federation (defunct) geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, with an estimated population of 1. ... The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. ... The Cuban Revolution refers to the revolution that led to the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batistas regime on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement and other revolutionary elements in the country. ... Cuban boys playing in Trinidad, Cuba The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community. ...

In the middle of the nineteenth century, a number of ex-slaves of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian descent^[34] and emigrants from Sierra Leone established communities in Lagos, Ibadan and other regions of Nigeria. Many ex-slaves came to Nigeria following the emancipation of slaves in Latin America. Many of the immigrants, sometimes called Saros (immigrants from Sierra Leone) and Amaro (ex-slaves from Brazil)^[35] later became prominent merchants and missionaries in Lagos and Abeokuta. Cuban boys playing in Trinidad, Cuba The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community. ... Afro-Brazilian or African Brazilian is the term used to racially categorise Brazilian citizens who are black or part-black, yet it is rarely used in Brazil. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Emancipation (disambiguation). ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... Location of Abeokuta in Nigeria Abeokuta is a city of southwest Nigeria, situated at , on the Ogun river, 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. ...

Language

The number of languages currently estimated and catalogued in Nigeria is 521. This number includes 510 living languages, two second languages without native speakers and 9 extinct languages. In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language. The official language of Nigeria, English, was chosen to facilitate the cultural and linguistic unity of the country. The choice of English as the official language was partially related to the fact that a part of Nigerian population spoke English as a result of British colonization that ended in 1960. Ethno-linguistic map of Nigeria. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The major languages spoken in Nigeria represent three major families of African languages - the majority are Niger-Congo languages, such as Yoruba, Ibo, the Hausa language is Afro-Asiatic; and Kanuri, spoken in the northeast, primarily Borno State, is a member of the Nilo-Saharan family. Even though most ethnic groups prefer to communicate in their own languages, English, being the official language, is widely used for education, business transactions and for official purposes. English as a first language, however, remains an exclusive preserve of a small minority of the country's urban elite, and is not spoken at all in some rural areas. With the majority of Nigeria's populace in the rural areas, the major languages of communication in the country remain indigenous languages. Some of the largest of these, notably Yoruba and Ibo, have derived standardized languages from a number of different dialects and are widely spoken by those ethnic groups. Hausa is a lingua franca throughout much of West Africa, and serves this function in Northern Nigeria as well, particularly amongst the Muslim population. Nigerian Pidgin English, often known simply as 'Pidgin' or 'Broken' (Broken English), is also as a popular lingua franca, though with varying regional influences on dialect and slang.The pidgin English or Nigerian English is widely spoken within the Niger Delta Regions, predominately in Warri,Sapele, Port-Harcourt, Agenebode, Benin City etc. The Yoruba language has the most varied forms and dialects. This variation is usually based on the different towns or as it were Kingdoms that existed before the advent of Europeans. They are as diverse as the number of city states that there are. Examples are Awori, Ondo/Ekiti, Egba/Yewa, Oyo/Ibadan, Ijebu, Ijesa/Ife, Ilorin, Kabba/Okun. Map showing the distribution of African language families and some major African languages. ... Map showing the distribution of Niger-Congo languages The Niger-Congo languages constitute one of the worlds major language families, and Africas largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. ... Yoruba (native name Ã¨dÃ¨ YorÃ¹bÃ¡, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria by about 18 million speakers (the Ibo), especially in the southeastern region once identified as Biafra. ... Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people, and as a second language by about 15 million more. ... Map showing the distribution of Afro-Asiatic languages The Afro-Asiatic languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia. ... Kanuri is a Nilo-Saharan language which is spoken by about 4 million people in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. ... Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people, and as a second language by about 15 million more. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Nigerian Pidgin English is a version of English with Nigerian elements (words, gestures, and connotations) added in. ... This article is about simplified languages. ... Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ...

Culture

Literature

Nigeria has a rich literary history, and Nigerians have authored many influential works of post-colonial literature in the English language. Nigeria's best-known writers are Wole Soyinka, the first African Nobel Laureate in Literature and Chinua Achebe, the legendary writer best known for the novel, Things Fall Apart and his controversial critique of Joseph Conrad. Other Nigerian writers and poets who are well known on the international stage include John Pepper Clark, Ben Okri, Buchi Emecheta, Helon Habila, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Lanre Adekola, and Ken Saro Wiwa who was executed in 1995 by the military regime. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Postcolonial theory is a literary theory or critical approach that deals with literature produced in countries that were once, or are now, colonies of other countries. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Akinwande Oluwole Wole Soyinka (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. ... Nobel Prize in Literature medal. ... Chinua Achebe (IPA: ), born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe on November 16, 1930, is a Nigerian novelist, poet and critic. ... For other uses, see Things Fall Apart (disambiguation). ... // Joseph Conrad (born Teodor JÃ³zef Konrad NaÅ‚Ä™cz-Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 â€“ 3 August 1924) was a Polish-born novelist who spent most of his adult life in Britain. ... // Adam Abdulahi Yusufu Adamu Chris Abani Andy Abulu Chinua Achebe (1930â€“ ) Wale Adebanwi Remi Adedeji (1937â€“ ) Abiola Adegboyega Dapo Adeniyi Mobolaji Adenubi Kole Ade-Odutola Kayode Aderinokun Pius Adesanmi Akin Adesokan Sean Adetula Toyin Abiodun Toyin Adewale-Gabriel Sola Adeyemi (1965â€“ ) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1977â€“ ) Emeka Agbayi Tolu Ajayi (1946... -1... John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo born 6 April 1935 is a Nigerian poet and playwright who originally published under the name of J.P. Clark. ... Ben Okri (born on March 15, 1959) is a Nigerian poet and novelist. ... Buchi Emecheta (born July 21, 1944) is a Nigerian novelist. ... Helon Habila (born 1967) is a Nigerian novelist. ... Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born in 1977) is a Nigerian writer. ... Ken Saro-Wiwa was a successful businessman, novelist, television producer and political activist in Nigeria. ...

Nigeria has the second largest newspaper market in Africa (after Egypt) with an estimated circulation of several million copies daily in 2003[6], [7]

Music and film

Nigeria (naija) has been called "the heart of African music" because of its role in the development of West African highlife and palm-wine music, which fuses native rhythms with techniques imported from the Congo, Brazil, Cuba and elsewhere. Timeline and Samples Genres Hip hop - Reggae - Gospel The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hand drumming is significant throughtout Africa The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continents many regions, nations and ethnic groups. ... Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the 1920s and spread to other West African countries. ... Palm-wine music (known as maringa in Sierra Leone) is a West African musical genre. ...

Nigerian music includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Styles of folk music are related to the multitudes of ethnic groups in the country, each with their own techniques, instruments and songs. As a result, there are many different types of music that come from Nigeria. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 6267 KB) Summary Photo of Femi Kuti performing, courtesy of Afropop Worldwide. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 6267 KB) Summary Photo of Femi Kuti performing, courtesy of Afropop Worldwide. ... Femi Kuti Femi Kuti is an award winning Nigerian musician, and the oldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. ... Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. ... Afrobeat is a combination of Yoruba music, jazz, and funk rhythms, fused with African percussion and vocal styles, popularized in Africa in the 1970s. ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ...

Many late 20th century musicians such as Fela Kuti have famously fused cultural elements of various indigenous music with American Jazz and Soul to form Afrobeat music.^[36] JuJu music which is percussion music fused with traditional music from the Yoruba nation and made famous by King Sunny Adé, is also from Nigeria. There is also fuji music, a Yoruba percussion style, created and popularized by the one and only Mr. Fuji, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister. Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. ... Indigenous music may refer to any of the musics of indigenous peoples, especially the folk, ceremonial or ritual, and religious traditions of those people music of Africa, especially the non-European, Asian or Arab-derived traditions Maori music of New Zealand Native American music of the United States and Canada... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... This article is about the novel Soul Music. ... Afrobeat is a combination of Yoruba music, jazz, Highlife, and funk rhythms, fused with African percussion and vocal styles, popularized in Africa in the 1970s. ... This article is about the style of music, for other meanings of the word juju, see juju. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (Ã¨dÃ¨e YorÃ¹bÃ¡; Ã¨dÃ¨ = language). ... Sunny Patel (Sunday Adeniyi, born 1992) is by far the most popular performer of South Lake Tahoe]]n JÃ¹jÃº music. ... Fuji is a style of popular Nigerian music, It evolved from the muslim were ramadan night dance in Isale-Eko part of Lagos. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in West Africa. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Harry Fujiwara aka Mr. ... Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister a. ...

There is a budding hip hop movement in Nigeria. Kennis Music,the self proclaimed "No 1 Record Label in Africa" and one of Nigeria's biggest record labels, has a roster almost entirely dominated by hip hop artists. Hip hop is a cultural movement composed of four parts: breakdancing, graffiti art, rapping and DJing. ... Kennis Music is a record label, specializing in R&B, pop and hip-hop music, founded by popular Nigerian radio DJ Kenny Ogungbe in the early 1990s. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement composed of four parts: breakdancing, graffiti art, rapping and DJing. ...

Famous musicians that come from Nigeria are Fela Kuti, Adewale Ayuba, Ezebuiro Obinna, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, King Sunny Adé, Ebenezer Obey, Femi Kuti, Lagbaja, Dr. Alban, Sade Adu and Tuface Idibia. Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. ... Adewale Ayuba (Mr. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister a. ... Sunny Patel (Sunday Adeniyi, born 1992) is by far the most popular performer of South Lake Tahoe]]n JÃ¹jÃº music. ... Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey (born in 1942 in Idogo) is a Nigerian popular musician, a contemporary and rival of some of the countrys biggest stars, including King Sunny Ade and Fela Kuti. ... Femi Kuti Femi Kuti is an award winning Nigerian musician, and the oldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. ... Lagbaja (born Bisade Ologunde in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian Afrobeat musician. ... Dr. Alban (born August 26, 1957 as Alban Nwapa in Enugu, Nigeria) is a Stockholm, Sweden-based musician and producer with his own record label dr-records. ... Helen Folasade Adu (born 16 January 1959), MBE, known professionally as Sade (IPA pronunciation: ), is a Nigerian-born Grammy Award-winning English soul, jazz, R&B, and adult contemporary singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer, noted for her soulful, smoky contralto. ... Innocent Ujah Idibia best known as 2face Idibia is a recording artist from Benue State, Nigeria. ...

The Nigerian film industry is known as Nollywood. Many of the film studios are based in Lagos and Abuja and the industry is now a very lucrative income for these cities. Nollywood is a name given to the Nigerian video movie industry. ... A film studio is a controlled environment for the making of a film. ...

Religion

Nigeria has a variety of religions which tend to vary regionally. This situation accentuates regional and ethnic distinctions and has often been seen as a source of sectarian conflict amongst the population.^[37] The three main religions are Islam (see also Islam in Nigeria), Christianity, and Animism. Animist religious practices include traditional religious belief systems such as Orishas and Igbo mythology. Christianity is concentrated in the southeast portion of the country while Islam dominates in the north of the country; some northern states have incorporated Sharia law into their previously secular legal systems, provoking controversy.^[38]Kano state of Nigeria has sought to make Sharia law superior to the constitution.^[39] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Nigerian National Mosque (Abuja National Mosque) is the national mosque of Nigeria, a county with a substantial Muslim population. ... Several religions in Nigeria coexist, helping to accentuate regional and ethnic distinctions. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Islam is a traditional religion in West Africa. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... This article is about a type of spirit. ... In the mythology of the Igbo, which is part of their ancient religion, the supreme god is called Chukwu (great spirit); Chukwu created the world and everything in it and is associated with all things on Earth. ... This article is about Islamic religious law. ...

Other non-majority religious and spiritual groups in Nigeria include Hinduism,^[40] Judaism, Chrislam (A blend of Christianity and Islam),^[41] and Nigeria has become an African hub for Grail Movement,^[42] the Rosicrucian order (AMORC),^[43] and Hari krishna.^[44] Hinduism spread to Nigeria mainly by immigration of Hindus from India and of Hare Krishna Missionaries. ... The Igbo (Ibo) Jews of Nigeria are one of the Jewish components of the Igbo (Ibo) ethnic group who are said to be descended from North African or Egyptian Hebraic and later Israelite migrations into West Africa. ... See The Hammer of God Chrislam, or the The Will of God Mission or Ifeoluwa Mission (Ifeoluwa is a Yoruba word meaning the will of God) is a Nigerian syncretic religion which mixes elements of both Christianity and Islam. ... The grail movement is not and is a cult. ... The Temple of the Rose Cross, Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens, 1618. ... The Rosicrucian Order, Ancient Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis (AMORC) is a worldwide mystical, Rosicrucian, educational, humanitarian and fraternal organisation founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in 1915. ... Founder of ISKCON: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ...

Sport

Like many nations, football is Nigeria's national sport. There is also a local Premier League of football. Nigeria's national football team, known as the Super Eagles, has made the World Cup on three occasions 1994, 1998, and 2002, won the African Cup of Nations in 1980 and 1994, and also hosted the Junior World Cup. They won the gold medal for football in the 1996 Summer Olympics (in which they beat Argentina) and have reached the finals of the U-20 World Championship in 2005. In September 2007, Nigeria won the U-17 World cup for the third time, becoming the only African nation to have achieved that feat and the second nation (after Brazil) to do so. Nigeria had previously won the very first U-17 tournament in 1985 (China '85), 1993 (Japan '93) and in 2007 (Korea '07). See also Nigeria national football team Nigeria Football Association Nigerian Premier League Categories: | ... Soccer redirects here. ... The Nigerian Premier League (NPL) is the highest level of domestic Nigerian soccer. ... First International Ghana 1 - 0 Nigeria (Accra, Ghana; 28 May 1950) Largest win Nigeria 8 - 1 Uganda (Ismailia, Egypt; 23 September 1991) Worst defeat Ghana 7 - 0 Nigeria (Accra, Ghana; 1 June 1955) World Cup Appearances 3 (First in 1994) Best result Round 2, 1994 and 1998 African Nations Cup... For the club competition, see FIFA Club World Cup. ... Qualifying countries The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. ... 1998 World Cup redirects here. ... Qualifying countries The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. ... The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa (CAF). ... The 1994 African Cup of Nations was the 19th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa (CAF). ...

The nation's cadet team to Japan '93, produced some of the world's finest players notably Nwankwo Kanu, a two-time African Footballer of the year who won the European Champions League with Ajax Amsterdam and later played with Inter Milan (Italy), Arsenal FC (London, UK), West Brom (UK) and Portsmouth (UK). Other players that graduated from the Junior teams are Celestine Babayaro (of Newcastle United, UK), Wilson Oruma (of Marseille, France). Nwankwo Kanu (born August 1, 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria), usually known simply as Kanu, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Nigerian national team and for English club Portsmouth. ... Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, Inter or Inter Milan,[1] is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy and was originally founded in 1908. ... Arsenal F.C. (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) is a north London football team founded in 1886. ... Map sources for West Bromwich at grid reference SO9992 West Bromwich is a town in the county of West Midlands, and is the largest town within the metropolitan borough of Sandwell. ... Celestine Babayaro (born August 29, 1978 in Kaduna, Nigeria) is a footballer who plays left-back and is currently contracted to Newcastle United of the English Premiership. ... For the Australian soccer club see Newcastle United (Australia). ... Wilson Oruma (born December 30, 1976 in Warri) is a football midfielder from Nigeria. ...

According to the official September 2007 FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria is currently First-ranked football nation in Africa and the 19th highest in the world. Nigeria is also involved in other sports such as basketball^[45] and track and field. Nigeria is also working very hard in terms of boxing and planing to rule the world in terms of boxing which our dear son (Samuel Peter) is still on the training to achieve the gold. Currently, Samuel Peter is the World heavy weight boxing champion (2007) and the Nigerian Golden Eaglets is the FIFA under 16 World Cup Champions (2007). This article is about the sport. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ...

Cuisine

Nigerian cuisine, like West African cuisine in general, is known for its richness and variety. Many different spices, herbs and flavourings are used in conjunction with palm oil or groundnut oil to create deeply-flavoured sauces and soups often made very hot with chilli peppers. Nigerian feasts are colourful and lavish, while aromatic market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied.^[46] Nigerian cuisine, like West African cuisine in general, is known for its richness and variety. ... For other uses, see Spice (disambiguation). ... Herbs: basil Herbs (IPA: hÉ™()b, or É™b; see pronunciation differences) are seed-bearing plants without woody stems, which die down to the ground after flowering. ... Palm oil from Ghana with its natural dark color visible, 2 litres Palm oil block Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. ... This article is about peanut, the food. ... The chile pepper (also chili or chilli; from Spanish chile) is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family (Solanaceae). ...

Societal issues

Despite its vast government revenue from the mining of petroleum, Nigeria is beset by a number of societal problems due primarily to a history of inept governance. Some of these problems are listed below.

Human rights

Homosexuality is illegal in Nigeria as it runs counter to the country's deeply ingrained cultural and religious morals. Homosexual intercourse is punishable by imprisonment in the south and possibly death in the Muslim north. In its 2005 report on human rights practices around the world, the U.S. Department of State found that Nigerias human rights record was poor. ... // Laws against gay sex Homosexuality is outlawed in the Nigerian penal code and in Muslim law. ...

On February 14, 2007 The National Assembly held public hearings on a bill to ban gay marriage and criminalize virtually all forms of gay expression. The bill reads as follows: is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

In April 2007, the voluntary Sharia police of Nigeria known as the Hisbah issued arrest warrants against an alleged lesbian who married four women in a large celebration in Kano, Nigeria.^[47] Kano is the administrative center of the Kano State and the third largest city in Nigeria, in terms of geographical size, after Ibadan and Lagos. ...

Strife and sectarian violence

Due to its multitude of diverse, sometimes competing ethno-linguistic groups, Nigeria has been beset since prior to independence with sectarian tensions and violence. This is particularly true in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, where both state and civilian forces employ varying methods of coercion in attempts gain control over regional petroleum resources. The civilian population, and especially certain ethnic groups like the Ogoni, have experienced severe environmental degradation due to petroleum extraction, but when these groups have attempted to protest these injustices, they have been met with repressive measures by Nigerian government and military forces. As a result, strife and deterioration in this region continues as of 2006. Conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s due to tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Deltas minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the Ogoni as well as the Ijaw in the late 1990s. ... The Ogoni people are one of the many indigenous peoples in the Niger Delta region of southeast Nigeria. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There are also significant tensions on a national scale, especially between the primarily Muslim, highly conservative northern population and the Christian population from the Southern part of the country. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is...

Since the end of the civil war in 1970, ethnic and religious violence has continued. Violence between Muslims and Christians occurred until early 2004. There has subsequently been a period of relative harmony since the Federal Government introduced tough new measures against religious violence in all affected parts of the country.

In 2002, organizers of the Miss World Pageant announced that they would move the pageant from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to London in the wake of violent protests in the Northern part of the country that left more than 100 people dead and over 500 injured. The rioting erupted after a newspaper suggested Muhammad would have approved of the Miss World beauty contest for personal reasons. Muslim rioters in Kaduna killed an estimated 105 men, women, and children with a further 521 injured taken to hospital. Angry mobs in the mainly Muslim city 600 kilometres (375 miles) northeast of Lagos burnt churches and rampaged through the streets, stabbing, bludgeoning, and burning bystanders to death.^[48] This article is about the pageant. ... Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, with an estimated population of 1. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Location of Kaduna in Nigeria Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State. ...

Health issues

Nigeria has been reorganizing its health system since the Bamako Initiative of 1987 formally promoted a community-based methods of increasing accessibility of drugs and health care services to the population, in part by implementing user fees.^[49] The new strategy dramatically increased accessibility through community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services. A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.^[50] Health care provision in Nigeria is a concurrent responsibility of the three tiers of government in the country. ... The Bamako Initiative was a formal statement adopted by African health ministers in 1987 in Bamako, Mali, to implement strategies designed to increase the availability of essential drugs and other healthcare services for Sub-Saharan Africans. ...

The state of health care in Nigeria has been worsened by a shortage of doctors as a consequence of severe 'brain drain'. Many Nigerian doctors have emigrated to North America and Europe. In 1995, 21,000 Nigeria doctors were practising in the US alone, about the same as the number of doctors then in the Nigerian public service. Retaining these expensively-trained professionals has been identified as an urgent goal.^[51] This article is about the emigration term. ...

National well-being

In 2003, Nigerians were reported to be the happiest people in a scientific survey carried out in 65 nations in 1999-2000.^[52] The research was reported by one of the world's top science magazines, New Scientist, and was picked up by a number of news outlets. See Nigeria tops happiness survey. The report considered that the country's family life and culture were more important than its problems and material wealth in determining happiness. New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ...

Contents

History

Government and politics

Law

States and local government areas

Foreign relations and military

Foreign relations

Military of Nigeria

Geography

Environment

Environmental degradation

Economy

Demographics

Ethno-linguistic groups

Language

Culture

Literature

Music and film

Religion

Sport

Cuisine

Societal issues

Human rights

Strife and sectarian violence

Health issues

National well-being

See also

References

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Government and politics

Law

States and local government areas

Foreign relations and military

Foreign relations

Military of Nigeria

Geography

Environment

Environmental degradation

Economy

Demographics

Ethno-linguistic groups

Language

Culture

Literature

Music and film

Religion

Sport

Cuisine

Societal issues

Human rights

Strife and sectarian violence

Health issues

National well-being

See also

References

External links

History