Nigeria

federal presidential republic

name: Abuja geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the newly built city of Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital city in 1991; Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja, that was named after Abu JA ("Abu the Red") in 1828

chief of state: President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023) head of government: President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023) cabinet: Federal Executive Council appointed by the president but constitutionally required to include at least one member from each of the 36 states election/appointment process: president directly elected by qualified-majority popular vote with at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 25 February 2023 election results: 2023: Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU elected president; percent of vote - Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (APC) 36.6%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 29.1%, Peter OBI (LP) 25.4%, Rabiu KWANKWASO (NNPP) 6.4%, other 2.5% 2019: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 53%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 39%, other 8% expected date of next election: 27 February 2027 note: the president is chief of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces

legislature name: National Assembly legislative structure: bicameral

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system

history: several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999 amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses and approval by the Houses of Assembly of at least two thirds of the states; amendments to constitutional articles on the creation of a new state, fundamental constitutional rights, or constitution-amending procedures requires at least four-fifths majority vote by both houses of the National Assembly and approval by the Houses of Assembly in at least two thirds of the states; passage of amendments limited to the creation of a new state require at least two-thirds majority vote by the proposing National Assembly house and approval by the Houses of Assembly in two thirds of the states

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINURSO, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

0.6% of GDP (2024) 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN): Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy (includes Coast Guard), Nigerian Air Force Ministry of Interior: Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC); Ministry of Police Affairs: Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (2025) note 1: the NSCDC is a paramilitary agency commissioned to assist the military in the management of threats to internal security, including attacks and natural disasters note 2: some states have created local security forces in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that have exceeded the response capacity of federal government security forces, but official security forces remained the constitutional prerogative of the federal government; in 2023, the federal government began deploying thousands of "agro rangers" across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory to help safeguard farmland and mediate conflicts, especially in areas hit by farmer-herder clashes

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

the Nigerian military is responsible for defending against external aggression, maintaining the country's territorial integrity, securing national borders, participating in international peacekeeping and other security missions, suppressing insurrection, and aiding civil authorities in restoring order, as well as other duties such as providing humanitarian assistance; its primary concerns are internal and maritime security; in the northeast part of the country, the military is conducting operations against the Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in West Africa (ISIS-WA) terrorist groups, where it has deployed as many as 70,000 troops at times and terrorist-related violence has killed an estimated 35-40,000 people, mostly civilians, since 2009; in the northwest, the military faces threats from criminal gangs--locally referred to as bandits--and violence associated with long-standing farmer-herder conflicts, as well as BH and ISIS-WA terrorists; the military also continues to protect the oil industry in the Niger Delta region against militants and criminal activity and since 2021, has deployed troops alongside other security forces to quell renewed agitation in the state of Biafra; maritime security concerns include piracy and the protection of natural resources in the Gulf of Guinea the Nigerian military traces its origins to the Nigeria Regiment of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison Great Britain's West African colonies; the WAFF (the honorary title "Royal" was added later) served in both World Wars; in 1956, the Nigeria Regiment of the Royal WAFF was renamed the Nigerian Military Forces (NMF) and in 1958, the colonial government of Nigeria took over control of the NMF from the British War Office; the Nigerian Armed Forces were established following independence in 1960 (2025)

180 Sudan/South Sudan (UNISFA); 200 Gambia (ECOWAS); 150 Guinea-Bissau (ECOWAS) (2025) note: Nigeria has committed an Army combat brigade (approximately 3,000 troops) to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional counter-terrorism force comprised of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; MNJTF conducts operations against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically

$1.318 trillion (2024 est.) $1.275 trillion (2023 est.) $1.239 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$5,700 (2024 est.) $5,600 (2023 est.) $5,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.4% (2024 est.) 2.9% (2023 est.) 3.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

33.2% (2024 est.) 24.7% (2023 est.) 18.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

$57.536 billion (2024 est.) $60.261 billion (2023 est.) $69.091 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$57.73 billion (2024 est.) $65.423 billion (2023 est.) $77.049 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

3% (2024 est.) 3.1% (2023 est.) 3.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $37.298 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $59.868 billion (2019 est.)

crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel

cassava, yams, maize, oil palm fruit, rice, taro, bananas, vegetables, sorghum, groundnuts (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 244,344,065 (2025 est.) male: 123,511,557 female: 120,832,508

2.39% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 40.4% (male 48,856,606/female 46,770,810) 15-64 years: 56.2% (male 66,897,900/female 66,187,584) 65 years and over: 3.4% (2024 est.) (male 3,759,943/female 4,274,287)

33.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 62.2 years (2024 est.) male: 60.4 years female: 64.2 years

urban population: 54.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Kanuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.9% (2018 est.) note: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages

Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)

total population: 63.2% (2021 est.) male: 73.7% (2021 est.) female: 53.3% (2021 est.)

natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham West Africa; Jama atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (Ansaru) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

refugees: 127,131 (2024 est.) IDPs: 3,709,022 (2024 est.)

50 (2025)

total: 3,798 km (2014) standard gauge: 293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge note: as of the end of 2018, there were only six operational locomotives in Nigeria primarily used for passenger service; the majority of the rail lines are in a severe state of disrepair and need to be replaced

total: 928 (2023) by type: general cargo 23, oil tanker 128, other 777

total subscriptions: 165 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 39% (2023 est.)