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Basic and Interesting Facts About Nigeria


Nigeria Flag

Searching for facts about Nigeria could be a challenging and frustrating task, as there are lots of misinformation about Nigeria.

You will need to seek and compare information from different sources to get even the most basic information about Nigeria. Following are summaries of the commonly sought after facts about Nigeria. I have also included a list of books and some websites where you can find more information on Nigeria.

History: Nigeria’s history is full of remarkable and important milestones. Before the arrival of the colonial masters, there are numerous established and successful Kingdoms in Nigeria with some dating back as old as the 4th Century BC. These different groups were unified in January 1914 to form what is Nigeria today by Lord Fredrick Lugard the then British Governor General of Nigeria. In October 1st 1960 Nigeria gained her independence from Great Britain.

Population: Another interesting fact about Nigeria is her population. At the time of Independence in 1960, Nigeria’s population is estimated at 35 million. In 2006 Nigeria’s population is 140 million according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In mid 2007 the Population Reference Bureau puts Nigeria’s population at 144 million. This is an increase of over 100 million people in less than 50 years! Click here for more information on the Population of Nigeria

Currency: The Nigerian currency is the Naira. The Naira and Kobo replaced the Pound and Shilling as Nigerian currencies in 1973. The Central Bank of Nigeria is responsible for issuing currency in Nigeria. The Naira has gone through several evolutions since its inception in 1973. Click here to read more about Nigerian Currency

Holidays: There are about 12 national holidays in Nigeria every year. Some of these holidays do not have a preset date.

  • New Year's Day January 1
  • Id-El-Fitri January 9-10
  • Id-El-Kabir March 17
  • Hajire (New Year) April 7-18
  • Good Friday April 21
  • Easter Monday April 24
  • Workers' Day May 1
  • Children's Day May 27
  • Id-El-Maulud June 17
  • National Day October 1
  • Christmas Day December 25
  • Boxing Day December 26

National Anthem: The current Nigeria National anthem Arise O Compatriots! was adopted in 1978. The music was composed by Benedict Odiase, the then Nigeria Police Band music director. The current national anthem replaced Nigeria, We Hail Thee! That was composed by Lillian Jean Williams.

Constitution: The list of facts about Nigeria will not be complete without the mention of Nigeria's constitution. The 1979 Nigeria constitution was suspended after 1983, the May 3, 1989 constitution was never implemented, and the 1999 constitution (based largely on the 1979 constitution) was promulgated by decree on May 5, 1999; it took effect on May 29, 1999, when an elected civilian government took office following 15 years of military rule. Click here for a full text of Nigeria's constitution

Nigeria Government: The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the world’s seventh largest democracy! Nigeria practices a presidential system of Government. The constitution gives executive power to the President and allows for a vice president and executive cabinet. Also the constitution vests power of legislation on the National Assembly which consists of theSenate and the House of Representatives.

The Nigerian Flag and Coat of Arm: Nigeria Flag is three vertical bands of Green, White, and Green. The green represents agriculture and the white represents peace. The Nigerian Coat of arm symbolizes the presence of government and must be displayed in every government office.Click here for more information about Nigerian Flag and Coat of Arm!

Books about Nigeria: Numerous books have been written that can give you more facts about Nigeria. There is no way I can possible list all of these books on this page. However,following is a list of books that I think will be helpful to you if you need more information about Nigeria as a place, its history, culture and way of life.
Click here for a list of books about Nigeria

Other interesting facts about Nigeria

  • There are 36 states in Nigeria and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT.
  • There are 109 Senators in Nigeria, 3 each for the 36 states and one for the FCT.
  • There are 360 members of the House of Representative representing the 774 local governments in the Nigerian Federation.
  • A citizen of Nigeria is known as a Nigerian while a citizen of neighboring Niger Republic is know as a Nigerien!
  • English is the official language of Nigeria and the language of instructions at most schools.
  • The other major languages spoken in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and pidgin English.
  • There are 25 federal, 22 private, and 24 state government universities in Nigeria with a total enrollment of more than 18 million students at all levels.
  • Nigeria adopted an educational policy of 6-3-3-4 in 1982. This requires 6 years of primary (elementary) education, 3 years junior and 3 years senior secondary education and 4 years of university education.
  • There are 37 airports with paved run-ways and another 34 with unpaved runways in Nigeria.
  • Nigeria has a newspaper circulation of 3.3 million copies a day. The largest in Africa!
  • Nigeria is Africa’s fourth largest economy behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria
  • Oil is the backbone of the Nigerian economy. It accounts for 95% of the country’s export revenues and about 85% of government revenue
  • Nigeria has a proven oil reserve of over 35 billion barrels – the 10th largest in the world.
  • Nigeria is the 12th largest oil producer and the 8th largest oil exporter in the world
  • Nigeria produces 2.4 million barrel of oil and export 2.19 million of them
  • Nigeria is the fourth biggest oil supplier to the United States as of March ’08 (at 1.1 million barrels per day), after Canada (1.7), Saudi Arabia (1.5) and Mexico (1.2)
  • The Yoruba tribe of Nigeria has the highest twin birth rate in the whole world!
  • Birth rate is 40.9 per 1,000 population.
  • Death rate is 17.4 per 1,000 population.
  • Male life expectancy is 46 years.
  • Female life expectancy is 47 years.
  • Nigeria’s literacy rate is 66.8%.
  • Male literacy rate is 74.4%.
  • Female literacy rate is 59.4%.
  • The percent of female population is 49.43%.
  • The percent of male population is 50.57%.


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