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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Nigeria
Index
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is designated by Section
194
of the 1979 constitution as the national police with
exclusive
jurisdiction throughout the country. Constitutional
provision
also exists, however, for the establishment of separate
NPF
branches "forming part of the armed forces of the
Federation or
for their protection of harbours, waterways, railways and
airfields." One such branch, the Port Security Police, was
reported by different sources to have a strength in 1990
of
between 1,500 and 12,000.
Nigeria's police began with a thirty-member consular
guard
formed in Lagos Colony in 1861. In 1879 a 1,200-member
armed
paramilitary Hausa Constabulary was formed. In 1896 the
Lagos
Police was established. A similar force, the Niger Coast
Constabulary, was formed in Calabar in 1894 under the
newly
proclaimed Niger Coast Protectorate. Likewise, in the
north, the
Royal Niger Company set up the Royal Niger Company
Constabulary
in 1888 with headquarters at Lokoja. When the
protectorates of
Northern and Southern Nigeria were proclaimed in the early
1900s,
part of the Royal Niger Company Constabulary became the
Northern
Nigeria Police, and part of the Niger Coast Constabulary
became
the Southern Nigeria Police. Northern and Southern Nigeria
were
amalgamated in 1914, but their police forces were not
merged
until 1930, forming the NPF, headquartered in Lagos.
During the
colonial period, most police were associated with local
governments (native authorities). In the 1960s, under the
First
Republic, these forces were first regionalized and then
nationalized.
The NPF performed conventional police functions and was
responsible for internal security generally; for
supporting the
prison, immigration, and customs services; and for
performing
military duties within or outside Nigeria as directed.
Plans were
announced in mid-1980 to expand the force to 200,000. By
1983,
according to the federal budget, the strength of the NPF
was
almost 152,000, but other sources estimated it to be
between
20,000 and 80,000. Reportedly, there were more than 1,300
police
stations nationwide. Police officers were not usually
armed but
were issued weapons when required for specific missions or
circumstances. They were often deployed throughout the
country,
but in 1989 Babangida announced that a larger number of
officers
would be posted to their native areas to facilitate
police-
community relations.
The NPF was under the general operational and
administrative
control of an inspector general appointed by the president
and
responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He was
supported at headquarters in Lagos by a deputy inspector
general
and in each state by police commissioners. The 1979
constitution
provided for a Police Service Commission that was
responsible for
NPF policy, organization, administration, and finance
(except for
pensions), In February 1989, Babangida abolished the
Police
Service Commission and established the Nigeria Police
Council in
its stead, under direct presidential control. The new
council was
chaired by the president; the chief of General Staff, the
minister of internal affairs, and the police inspector
general
were members. As part of the government reorganization in
September 1990, Alhajji Sumaila Gwarzo, formerly SSS
director,
was named to the new post of minister of state, police
affairs.
In late 1986, the NPF was reorganized nationwide into
seven
area commands, which superseded a command structure
corresponding
to each of Nigeria's states. Each command was under a
commissioner of police and was further divided into police
provinces and divisions under local officers. NPF
headquarters,
which was also an area command, supervised and coordinated
the
other area commands.
The 1986 NPF reorganization was occasioned by a public
eruption of tensions between the police and the army. A
superintendent was suspended for a time for grumbling that
the
army had usurped police functions and kept police pay low,
and
there were fights between police and army officers over
border
patrol jurisdiction. The armed forces chief of staff
announced a
thorough reorganization of the NPF into the seven new area
commands and five directorates (criminal investigations,
logistics, supplies, training, and operations) under
deputy
inspectors general. About 2,000 constables and 400 senior
police
officers were dismissed by mid-1987, leaving senior police
officers disgruntled.
In mid-1989 another NPF reorganization was announced
after
the AFRC's acceptance of a report by Rear Admiral Murtala
Nyako.
In 1989 the NPF also created a Quick Intervention Force in
each
state, separate from the mobile police units, specifically
to
monitor political events and to quell unrest during the
transition to civil rule. Each state unit of between 160
and 400
police was commanded by an assistant superintendent and
equipped
with vehicles, communications gear, weapons, and crowd
control
equipment, including cane shields, batons, and tear gas.
Under
the new structure, a Federal Investigation and
Intelligence
Bureau (FIIB) was to be set up as the successor to the
Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation; three
directorates
were established for operations, administration, and
logistics,
each headed by a deputy inspector general. The Directorate
of
Operations was subdivided into four units under a deputy
director--operations, training, communications, and the
police
mobile force. The Directorate of Administration was
composed of
an administration unit headed by an assistant inspector
general
(AIG), and of budget and personnel units under
commissioners. The
Directorate of Logistics had four units--procurement,
workshop/transport, supply, and work/maintenance--under
AIGs. The
zonal arrangements were retained. However, AIGs were
authorized
to transfer officers up to the rank of chief
superintendent, to
set up provost units, to deploy mobile units, and to
promote
officers between the ranks of sergeant and inspector.
The NPF operating budget between 1984 and 1988 remained
in
the N360 million to N380 million range, and in 1988
increased to
N521 million. More notable were large capital expenditure
infusions of N206 million in 1986 and N260.3 million in
1988,
representing 3.5 and 2.5 percent of total federal capital
expenditures in those years. These increases were used to
acquire
new communications equipment, transport, and weapons to
combat
the rising crime wave, such as 100 British Leyland DAF
Comet
trucks delivered in 1990
(see Incidence and Trends in Crime
, this
ch.). Despite these purchases, an NPF study in late 1990
concluded that the force's budget must double to meet its
needs.
Although generally considered an attractive career, the
NPF
experienced endemic problems with recruiting, training,
inefficiency, and indiscipline, and it lacked expertise in
specialized fields. Corruption and dishonesty were
widespread,
engendering a low level of public confidence, failure to
report
crimes, and tendencies to resort to self-help. Police were
more
adept at paramilitary operations and the exercise of force
than
at community service functions or crime prevention,
detection,
and investigation. During the Obasanjo period, an attempt
was
made to expand the NPF by reducing the recruitment age
from
nineteen to seventeen and by enrolling demobilized
soldiers, but
it failed. In mid-1980 the then federal police minister
acknowledged that the police had recovered only 14 percent
of the
US$900 million worth of property reported stolen in the
preceding
six months, and that only 20 percent of the 103,000
persons
arrested had been found guilty, a performance record about
the
same as that reported in the 1960s. The use of excessive
violence
in quelling student disorders led the AFRC in June 1986 to
direct
the police to use only rubber bullets in containing
student
riots. Reports of police collusion with criminals were
common, as
were official appeals to police officers to change their
attitude
toward the public, to be fair and honest, and to avoid
corrupt
practices. In an effort to reduce bribery and to make
identification of offenders easier, police officers on
beats and
at checkpoints were not allowed to carry more than N5 on
their
person.
Police training was directed from headquarters by a
deputy
inspector general designated as commander. Recruits were
trained
at police colleges in Oji River, Maiduguri, Kaduna, and
Ikeja,
which also offered training to other security personnel,
such as
armed immigration officers. The Police College at Ikeja
trained
cadet assistant superintendents and cadet subinspectors.
There
were also specialized schools for in-service training,
including
the Police Mobile Force Training School at Guzuo,
southwest of
Abuja, the Police Detective College at Enugu, the Police
Dogs
Service Training Centre, and the Mounted Training Centre.
The NPF
inspector general visited Algeria in January 1988; as a
result
new training practices were under consideration.
In August 1989, Babangida laid the foundation stone for
a
Nigeria Police Academy (NPA) in Kano State. The NPA was to
be
affiliated with Bayero University until adequate
infrastructure
was available for independent operation. Admission was to
be
regulated by merit, by the quota system, and by federal
character. The commandant was to be at least an AIG and
assisted
by a provost who would oversee the academic program.
Modeled
after the Nigerian Military University in Kaduna, the NPA
would
offer a five-year academic and professional degree program
for
new cadets and an eighteen-month intensive course for
college
graduates aspiring to a police career. Babangida also
disclosed
plans to obtain technical assistance from Britain to
establish a
central planning and training program to modernize and
upgrade
police training.
Finally, mention should be made of the establishment in
1989
of a paramilitary National Guard directly under the
president.
This new security force, set up by decree to combat crime
and
terrorism, became controversial because its mission
overlapped
both the police and the army, and it could be used for
political
witch-hunting and intimidation. Apparently, only a few
police
mobile units bore the guard's insignia before the
government
decided to reconsider its formation. The matter was still
under
review in 1990.
Data as of June 1991
- Nigeria-Women's Roles
- Nigeria-WELFARE
- Nigeria-THE FEDERAL MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN THE POSTWAR ERA
- Nigeria-EDUCATION
- Nigeria-Lugard and Indirect Rule
- Nigeria-Arms Procurement and Defense Industries
- Nigeria-Communications
- Nigeria-Irrigation
- Nigeria-COLONIAL NIGERIA
- Nigeria-Roads
- Nigeria-African and Regional Issues
- Nigeria-The Northern Area
- Nigeria-Fisheries
- Nigeria-The 1964-65 Elections
- Nigeria-Relations with Major Powers
- Nigeria-Electric Power
- Nigeria-Trade Unions
- Nigeria-Organization, Mission, and Order of Battle
- Nigeria-Climate
- Nigeria-POPULATION
- Nigeria-AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING
- Nigeria-Early States Before 1500
- Nigeria-The Yoruba Wars
- Nigeria-BANKING, FINANCE, AND OTHER SERVICES
- Nigeria-The Second Republic
- Nigeria-Population Estimates and the Demographic Transition
- Nigeria-The Gowon Regime
- Nigeria-Crime and Punishment
- Nigeria-Oil and Gas
- Nigeria-Uniforms, Ranks, and Insignia
- Nigeria-Abolition of the Slave Trade
- Nigeria-The Savanna States, 1500-1800
- Nigeria-Recruitment and Conditions of Service
- Nigeria-The Igbo: A Stateless Society?
- Nigeria-Extension of British Control
- Nigeria-NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES AND PERCEPTIONS
- Nigeria-The Regime of Murtala Muhammad, 1975-76
- Nigeria-Unemployment
- Nigeria-THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
- Nigeria-Constitutional and Political Framework
- Nigeria-Regional Groupings
- Nigeria-MANUFACTURING
- Nigeria-Training
- Nigeria-Indigenous Beliefs
- Nigeria-The Southern Area
- Nigeria -Country Profile
- Nigeria-Early Development
- Nigeria-Chapter 3 - The Economy
- Nigeria-RELIGION
- Nigeria-The Third Republic
- Nigeria-Civic Action and Veterans' Groups
- Nigeria-Chapter 5 - National Security
- Nigeria-Army
- Nigeria-RETURN TO MILITARY RULE
- Nigeria-NATIONAL SECURITY
- Nigeria-Human Rights
- Nigeria-Rural-Urban Linkages
- Nigeria-EARLY HISTORY
- Nigeria-Ethnic Relations
- Nigeria-Introduction
- Nigeria-Royal Niger Company
- Nigeria-Attitudes Toward the Military
- Nigeria-Usman dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate
- Nigeria-Census History
- Nigeria-Labor Organizations
- Nigeria-The Colonial Period
- Nigeria-Relations with Neighboring States
- Nigeria-Railroads
- Nigeria-New State Movements
- Nigeria-Economic Development
- Nigeria-Military Capabilities
- Nigeria-Foreword
- Nigeria-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- Nigeria-ECONOMY
- Nigeria-The Obasanjo Regime, 1976-79
- Nigeria-Professional Associations INTEREST GROUPS AND NATIONAL POLITICS
- Nigeria-Other Interest Groups
- Nigeria-URBANIZATION
- Nigeria-Chapter 4 - Government and Politics
- Nigeria-The Debt Overhang
- Nigeria-Influence of the Christian Missions
- Nigeria-Christianity
- Nigeria-FEDERALISM AND INTRAGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
- Nigeria-Unification of Nigeria
- Nigeria-Government Finance
- Nigeria-Forestry
- Nigeria-Chapter 2 - The Society and Its Environment
- Nigeria-MILITARY INTERVENTION AND MILITARY RULE
- Nigeria-Ports
- Nigeria-Planning
- Nigeria-FOREIGN RELATIONS
- Nigeria-Labor Unions
- Nigeria-Balance of Payments
- Nigeria-Primary Health Care Policies
- Nigeria-Relations with the Rest of Africa
- Nigeria-Commodity Trade
- Nigeria-Political Role of the Military
- Nigeria-The Census Controversy
- Nigeria-Acknowledgements
- Nigeria-Early British Imperialism THE COLONIAL ECONOMIC LEGACY
- Nigeria-National Economic Interests in the Postwar Period
- Nigeria-TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Nigeria-ETHNICITY
- Nigeria-Social Structure
- Nigeria-Nigeria
- Nigeria-Internal Security Forces and Organizations
- Nigeria-Crime, Corruption, and Political Turbulence
- Nigeria-Transportation TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Nigeria-Crops
- Nigeria-EMERGENCE OF NIGERIAN NATIONALISM
- Nigeria-Security and Anticrime Measures
- Nigeria-MINING, PETROLEUM, AND ENERGY RESOURCES
- Nigeria-ARMED FORCES AND SOCIETY
- Nigeria-Civil War
- Nigeria-Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-Student Associations
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-Nigeria Police Force
- Nigeria-The Northern Kingdoms of the Savanna
- Nigeria-Navy
- Nigeria-THE FIRST REPUBLIC
- Nigeria-INDEPENDENT NIGERIA
- Nigeria-The 1966 Coups, Civil War, and Gowon's Government
- Nigeria-The Media
- Nigeria-Urbanization Since Independence
- Nigeria-Preparations for the Return to Civilian Rule
- Nigeria-Relations with International Organizations
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-THE CIVIL SERVICE
- Nigeria-The Muhammad/Obasanjo Government
- Nigeria-LABOR
- Nigeria-The Babangida Government
- Nigeria-Islam
- Nigeria-Chapter 1 - Historical Setting
- Nigeria-Livestock
- Nigeria-ARMED FORCES
- Nigeria-Foreign Policy
- Nigeria-POLITICAL TRANSITIONS AND TRANSITION PLANNING
- Nigeria-Yoruba Kingdoms and Benin
- Nigeria-Structural Adjustment
- Nigeria-Development of National Economic Interests to World War II
- Nigeria-History of Modern Medical Services
- Nigeria-Income Distribution
- Nigeria-Politics in the Crisis Years
- Nigeria-Further Development of Colonial Policy
- Nigeria-Air Force
- Nigeria-CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-Local and Bilateral Issues
- Nigeria-INTERNAL SECURITY
- Nigeria-Religious Sectarianism
- Nigeria-Incidence and Trends in Crime
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-Preface
- Nigeria-Demographic Factors and the Defense Budget
- Nigeria-Land Use, Soils, and Land Tenure
- Nigeria-Foreign Trade FOREIGN TRADE AND BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-Historical Development of Urban Centers
- Nigeria-THE SECOND REPUBLIC, 1979-83
- Nigeria-GEOGRAPHY
- Nigeria-HEALTH
- Nigeria-Domestic Security
- Nigeria-Women's Organizations
- Nigeria-EUROPEAN SLAVE TRADE IN WEST AFRICA
- Nigeria
- Nigeria-The Buhari Regime
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Background | | British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.
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Location | | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
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Area(sq km) | | total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 10 00 N, 8 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
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Coastline(km) | | 853 km
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Climate | | varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
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Natural resources | | natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 33.02% permanent crops: 3.14% other: 63.84% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 2,820 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 286.2 cu km (2003)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%) per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | periodic droughts; flooding
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Environment - current issues | | soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
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Population | | 149,229,090 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 41.5% (male 31,624,050/female 30,242,637) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 42,240,641/female 40,566,672) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,211,840/female 2,343,250) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 19 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.1 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 1.999% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 36.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 16.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 48% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 94.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 100.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 87.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 46.94 years male: 46.16 years female: 47.76 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 4.91 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
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Religions(%) | | Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
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Languages(%) | | English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
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Country name | | conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
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Government type | | federal republic
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Capital | | name: Abuja geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions | | 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
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Constitution | | adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
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Legal system | | based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007) cabinet: Federal Executive Council elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA elected president; percent of vote - Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA 69.8%, Muhammadu BUHARI 18.7%, Atiku ABUBAKAR 7.5%, Orji Uzor KALU 1.7%, other 2.3%
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Legislative branch | | bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%, other 8.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, UNPP 2.8%, NPD 1.9%, APGA 1.6%, PRP 0.8%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6, UNPP 2, APGA 2, NPD 1, PRP 1, vacant 1
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Judicial branch | | Supreme Court (judges recommended by the National Judicial Council and appointed by the president); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government from a pool of judges recommended by the National Judicial Council)
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian Medical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD
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International organization participation | | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Flag description | | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
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Economy - overview | | Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, has undertaken several reforms over the past decade. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. Since 2008 the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. Based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices, GDP rose strongly in 2007 and 2008. President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $336.2 billion (2008 est.) $319.3 billion (2007 est.) $300.1 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $207.1 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 5.3% (2008 est.) 6.4% (2007 est.) 6.2% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $2,300 (2008 est.) $2,200 (2007 est.) $2,100 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 18.1% industry: 50.8% services: 31.1% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 51.04 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 4.9% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 70% (2007 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 32.4% (2004)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 43.7 (2003) 50.6 (1997)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 21.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $19.76 billion expenditures: $24.72 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 11.6% (2008 est.) 5.4% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $35.29 billion (31 December 2008) $26.82 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $32.04 billion (31 December 2008) $22.78 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $49.51 billion (31 December 2008) $35.68 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $49.8 billion (31 December 2008) $86.35 billion (31 December 2007) $32.82 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $6.437 billion (2005)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 13.4% of GDP (2008 est.) 20% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
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Industries | | crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 2.8% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $3.877 billion (2008 est.) $2.203 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $76.03 billion (2008 est.) $61.82 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
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Exports - partners(%) | | US 41.4%, India 10.4%, Brazil 9.4%, Spain 7.2%, France 4.6% (2008)
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Imports | | $46.3 billion (2008 est.) $38.8 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
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Imports - partners(%) | | China 13.8%, Netherlands 9.6%, US 8.4%, UK 5.3%, South Korea 5.2%, France 4.3% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $53 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $51.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $9.996 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $8.007 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $68.84 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $58.84 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $13.02 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $12.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 117.8 (2008 est.), 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | naira (NGN)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 1.308 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 62.988 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular service providers operate nationally with subscribership reaching 45 per 100 persons in 2008 international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
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Internet country code | | .ng
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Internet users | | 11 million (2008)
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Airports | | 56 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | condensate 21 km; gas 2,560 km; liquid petroleum gas 97 km; oil 3,396 km; refined products 4,090 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 193,200 km paved: 28,980 km unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)
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Ports and terminals | | Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
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Military branches | | Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2008)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 31,929,204 females age 16-49: 30,638,979 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 19,763,535 females age 16-49: 18,850,650 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 1,697,030 female: 1,618,561 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.5% of GDP (2006)
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Disputes - international | | Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
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Refugees and internally displaced persons | | refugees (country of origin): 5,778 (Liberia) IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 21.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 19.21 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 2.169 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 286,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 2.327 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 170,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 36.22 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 32.82 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 12.28 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 20.55 billion cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 5.215 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 3.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 2.6 million (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | 170,000 (2007 est.)
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Major infectious diseases | | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 7 years (2004)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 0.9% of GDP (1991)
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