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Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution
was adopted in 1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government
completed. The new president faces the daunting task of rebuilding
a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through
corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy.
In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding
ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation
for economic growth and political stability.
Area: 923,768 sq km
Population: 126,635,626
Ethnic groups: Nigeria, which is 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%
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs
10%
Languages: English (official), Chichewa (official), other
languages important regionally
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.1%
male: 67.3%
female: 47.3% (1995 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.06% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2.7 million (1999
est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 250,000 (1999 est.)
Capital: Abuja; note - on 12 December 1991 the capital was
officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja; most federal government
offices have now made the move to Abuja
Administrative divisions: 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia,
Abuja Federal Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi,
Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu,
Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos,
Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto,
Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara.
Political parties and leaders: All People's Party or APP
[Alhaji Yusuf ALI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [contested between
Yusuf MAMMAN and Alhasi Adamu ABDULKADIR]; People's Democratic Party
or PDP [Barnabas GEMADE].
Economy - overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy, long hobbled
by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management,
is undergoing substantial economic reform under the new civilian
administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify
the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil
sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings,
and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural
sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria,
once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. 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 loan from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms.
Increases in foreign investment and oil production combined with
high world oil prices should push growth over 4% in 2001-02.
Population below poverty line: 45% (2000 est.)
Currency: naira
Information taken from the CIA
world factbook.
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