About Nigeria
The Federal Republic of Nigeria covers a land mass of 923,768 square kilometers and is situated in the gulf of guinea. Nigeria is bordered by Cameroon on its eastern and south eastern side, Chad in the north east, Niger in the north and Benin on the western side. Despite its relatively small land mass, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.
Colonial history
Nigeria officially became a colony of the United Kingdom (Great Britain) during the 2nd half of the 19th century. The territory occupied by present day Nigeria was conquered by Great Britain in several stages between the year 1850 and 1900. Initially, Nigeria was divided into two administrative districts, at the time known as the British dependencies of Southern and Northern Nigeria. These were however merged into a homogenous territory at the beginning of World War I and a legislative council with very limited African representation was created in 1921. The British however continued using traditional native chieftains to administer their respective territories under supervision of the colonialists.
In 1947, the United Kingdom introduced a new constitution which established a federal system of government in Nigeria. Under the new law, Nigeria was divided in the Eastern, Western and Northern regions. The idea behind this system was to reconcile religious and regional tensions as well as accommodate the interests of the different ethnic groups consisting mainly of the Fulani and Hausa (The Northern Region), Yoruba (The Western Region), and the Ibo (The Eastern Region).
However, at this time, the nationalists were demanding for direct elections and the extension of franchise. Consequently, the 1947 constitution was abrogated and a ministerial government formed in 1951. In 1954, Nigeria became self governing British territory. The NCNC (National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroon) led by Dr. Nnadi Azikwe and Herbert Macaulay and other political groping such as the NPC (Conservative Northern People’s Congress) led by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the Action Group Party (AG) led by Obafemi Awolowo continued pushing for complete independence from British rule.
However, the conflicting demands for central government and autonomy by these different political parties forced the British to establish several measures to accommodate these conflicting demands. This arrangement promised a federal government with a considerable amount of regional autonomy. The federal government was allocated specific powers such as the police force, the defense forces, custom duty collection, banking and finance. The regions were to be responsible for the areas of agriculture, health, economic development and education.
Geopolitical arrangement
Nigeria is divided into roughly six geopolitical zones. These are: The North Central Zone, South Zone, The South South Zone, The South East Zone, The North- East Zone and the East Zone. Sensitive leadership positions are rotated between these zones to ensure fair representation and reduce the dissent that has resulted in unnecessary conflicts over the last 50 years.
Present Government
Nigeria uses a presidential system with well structured and independent executive, judiciary and legislature. The Constitution further provides for the operation of three tiers of government, at the Federal, State and Local levels. These provisions are binding on all authorities and persons throughout the Federation. The current president of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan while Namadi Sambo is the vice president.
Below is a list of all Nigerian states in reverse alphabetical order -
Natural Resources
Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Before the discovery of oil, Nigeria was among the biggest tin producers in the world. However, after the discovery of oil, average production fell from 10,000 tons per annum in the ‘70s to just 300 tons in 1995. The remaining tin reserves are estimated to be over 30,000 tones. The country is also rich in iron with deposits estimated at over 800 million tones with an average of 37 percent metal content. Deposits of lead, zinc, uranium, Gold and tungsten have also been discovered in the country though they are yet to be exploited.
The petroleum sector is the biggest contributor to Nigeria’s GDP at 36 percent as of the year 2000. Oil reserves were estimated at 22.5 billion barrels, enough to sustain production for the next 30 years. Proven natural gas reserves on the other hand were estimated at 3.6 trillion cubic meters during the same year. Annual natural gas production is estimated to be 5.2 billion cubic meters.
Tribes and Languages
Nigeria is one of the most multi-ethnic societies in Africa with over 350 officially recognized tribes. The three major ethnic Nigerian tribes are the Ibo, Yoruba and the Hausa Fulani. The Hausa Fulani are a mixed race of the Fulani and the Hausa, the Hausa are a mix of Sudanese people while the Fulani origins can be traced back to the gypsies in Central Africa way back in the 13th century.
The second largest ethnic group is the Ibo and they are composed if numerous smaller sub tribes. They mostly inhabit the forested areas of the Niger valley.
The third largest group, the Yoruba is a united ethnic group residing in Ife town. These three groups alone form 58 percent of the Nigerian population, the other notable groups include the Kanuri, Nupe, Awori, Bele, Chamo, Diba, Gira, Ekoi, Tiv, among others. The tribes have different languages so naturally the most dominated languages spoken belong to the three dominant ethnic groupings.
Economy
The Nigerian economy is a middle income, mixed economy of emerging markets with fairly well developed legal, communications, entertainment and financial sectors. As of the year 2009, Nigeria was ranked 31st globally in terms of GDP and 3RD in Africa. The economy was previously hindered by numerous years of mismanagement. However, the economic reforms witnessed in the recent years have put the country back on track and its moving closer to realizing its maximum economic potential. The GDP doubled from $170.7 billion to $374.3 billion between the year 2005 and 21010. As expected, the per capital income also doubled from $1200 to $2500 during the same period.
Oil exports contribute the largest portion of the country’s GDP and the economy is trying to leverage the vast wealth from oil exports to alleviate the crushing poverty affecting 605 of the population. In 2007, the reform program labeled NEEDS (National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy) was set up to help improve the country’s standards f living. This is to be achieved through deregulation, stability, privatization, accountability, Transparency and liberalization.
Despite years of neglect, lack of infrastructure and mismanagement, agriculture accounted for 27 percent of Nigeria’s GDP and employs up two two-thirds of the population. Cocoa production, groundnuts and palm oil production as well as poultry farming are some other greatest agricultural exports. The agricultural sector however suffers from low productivity due to a heavy reliance on antiquated methods.
International involvement – Peace Keeping and other initiatives etc
Nigeria has the largest involvement in peace keeping operation in Africa and fourth in the world. Despite its internal conflicts, Nigeria has established itself as a region peace builder by leading diplomatic and military efforts to prevent anarchy and restore stability in many countries. Its most notable contribution was its intervention in war torn Sierra Leone and Liberia during the ‘90s that helped reduce bloodshed and played a big role in restoring peace in these countries. Over 500 Nigeria solders died in those operations. Nigerian peace keepers are also present in the Darfur region of southern Sudan. The countries unique position as a peace builder is also reflected in the number of peace keeping positions held by Nigerian Nationals in the UN. For example the Chair Person of the UN Special Committees on Peace Keeping, Joy Ogwu is a Nigerian national.