Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nicknamed Naija (9ja); is a country in West Africa. It is the largest country in Africa in terms of population, and it is no news that Nigeria is the giant of Africa owing to its population and large economy.
Nigeria is a regional power in Africa, a middle power in international affairs, and an emerging global power.
Nigeria's economy is the largest in Africa, the 25th-largest in the world by nominal GDP, and 25th-largest by PPP.
This African kingpin is considered to be an emerging market by the World Bank. However, the country ranks low on the Human Development Index and remains one of the most corrupt nations in the world.
Nigeria is a founding member of the African Union and a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, NAM, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and OPEC. It is a member of the informal MINT group of countries and is one of the Next Eleven economies
CONTENT
Where is Nigeria located
How big is Nigeria
How many states are in Nigeria
When was Nigeria's independence and it's journey so far
What Ethnicity makes up Nigeria
What is the official language of Nigeria
How is religion in Nigeria
Where is Nigeria located?
The country Nigeria is located in west Africa, geographically situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean, which lies between longitudes 3 degrees and 14 degrees and latitudes 4 degrees and 14 degrees.
It is bordered to the north by the Republics of Niger and Tchad; it shares borders to the west with the Republic of Benin, while the Republic of Cameroon shares the eastern borders right down to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, forming the southern limits of Nigerian Territory.
How big is Nigeria
Nigeria is a country that could be seen as one of the biggest in the world. Nigeria is big in terms of space and land mass, and just the way the feathers make a chicken bigger, Nigeria's population adds to its bigness.
The country has a land mass of 923,768 square kilometers (356,669 sq mi), and a total coastline of 853 km (530.0 mi). This land area is approximately 133% of the area of Texas. Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa and the 32nd biggest in the world.
Looking at how big population of Nigeria according to the world stat, in the year 2022 the country have a population size of over 200 million, 216,746,934 to be precise. This marks a 2.53% increase from 211,400,708 recorded a year before.
How many states are in Nigeria
Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located. The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in Africa.
Nigeria has been home to several indigenous pre-colonial states and kingdoms since the second millennium BC, with the Nok civilization in the 15th century BC marking the first internal unification in the country.
The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914 by Lord Lugard.
The British set up administrative and legal structures while practicing indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms in the Nigeria region.
When was Nigeria's independence and its journey so far
Nigeria became an independent federation on October 1, 1960. The country experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970, followed by a succession of democratically elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, until achieving a stable democracy in the 1999 presidential election; the 2015 election was the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election.
British rule of Colonial Nigeria ended in 1960 when the Nigeria Independence Act 1960 made the federation an independent sovereign state.
Elizabeth II remained head of state as the Queen of Nigeria, as well as other dominions and commonwealth realms. Her constitutional roles in Nigeria were exercisable by the Governor-General of Nigeria.
Three people held the office of governor-general during the whole existence of the Federation of Nigeria:
- Sir John Stuart Macpherson 1954 - 15 June 1955
- Sir James Wilson Robertson 15 June 1955 - 16 November 1960
- Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 1960 – 1 October 1963
- Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa held office as prime minister (and head of government).
The Federal Republic of Nigeria came into existence on 1 October 19and the monarchy was abolished and Nigeria became a republic within the Commonwealth.
Following the abolition of the monarchy, former Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe became President of Nigeria, as a ceremonial post under the 1963 constitution.
Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in 1956 (28 January–16 February).
What Ethnicity makes up Nigeria
Nigeria is a multinational state inhabited by more than 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages, all identifying with a wide variety of cultures and customs.
The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east, together comprising over 65% of the total population.
Other ethnicities include Edo, Ijaw, Fulbe, Kanuri, Urhobo-Isoko, Ibibio, Ebira, Nupe, Gbagyi, Jukun, Igala, Idoma and Tiv comprise between 30%; other minorities make up the remaining 5%.
The Middle Belt of Nigeria is known for its diversity of ethnic groups, including the Atyap, Berom, Goemai, Igala, Kofyar, Pyem, and Tiv.
The official population count of each of Nigeria's ethnicities is disputed as members of different ethnic groups believe the census is rigged to give a particular group (usually believed to be northern groups) numerical superiority.
Also in Nigeria, there are small minorities of British, American, Indian, and Chinese. According to recent estimates, their number is valued at 50,000. White Zimbabwean, Japanese, Greek, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants. Immigrants also include those from other West African like Benin Togo Ghana, or East African nations.
These minorities mostly reside in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja, or the Niger Delta as employees for the major oil companies.
Several Cubans settled in Nigeria as political refugees following the Cuban Revolution.
In the middle of the 19th century, several ex-slaves of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian descent and emigrants from Sierra Leone established communities in Lagos and other regions of Nigeria. Many ex-slaves came to Nigeria following the emancipation of slaves in the Americas.
Many of the immigrants, sometimes called Saro (immigrants from Sierra Leone) and Amaro (ex-slaves from Brazil) later became prominent merchants and missionaries in these cities.
What is the official language of Nigeria?
Nigeria's official language is English, formerly includes French, chosen to facilitate linguistic unity at the national level. This owes to the influence of British colonization which ended in 1960.
Many French speakers from surrounding countries have influenced the English spoken in the border regions of Nigeria and some Nigerian citizens have become fluent enough in French to work in the surrounding countries. The French spoken in Nigeria may be mixed with some native languages. French may also be mixed with English.
Locally, more than 521 languages is been spoken in Nigeria, and according to research, nine of them are extinct.
In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language.
The major languages spoken in Nigeria represent three major families of languages of Africa: the majority are Niger-Congo languages, such as Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Fulfulde, Ogoni, and Edo. Kanuri, spoken in the northeast, primarily in Borno and Yobe State, is part of the Nilo-Saharan family, and Hausa is an Afroasiatic language.
Even though most ethnic groups prefer to communicate in their languages, English as the official language is widely used for education, business transactions, and official purposes. English as a first language is used by only a small minority of the country's urban elite, and it is not spoken at all in some rural areas.
Looking at it locally, on the other hand, Hausa is the most widely spoken of the three main languages spoken in Nigeria.
With the majority of Nigeria's populace in rural areas, the major languages of communication in the country remain indigenous languages.
Some of the largest of these, notably Yoruba and Igbo, have derived standardized languages from several different dialects and are widely spoken by those ethnic groups.
Nigerian Pidgin English, often known simply as "Pidgin" or "Broken" (Broken English), is also a popular lingua franca, though with varying regional influences on dialect and slang. Pidgin English or Nigerian English is widely spoken within the Niger Delta Region and in Lagos.
How is religion in Nigeria
Nigeria's constitution ensures freedom of religion and it is home to the world's largest Muslim and Christian populations, simultaneously.
Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, whose majority live in the north, and Christians, whose majority live in the south. The country has indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, and is in the minority.
According to the 2012 report on religion and public life by the Pew Research Center, in 2010, 49.3% of Nigeria's population was Christian, 48.8 % was Muslim, and 1.9 percent were followers of indigenous and other religions or unaffiliated.
However, in a report released by Pew Research Center in 2015, the Muslim population was estimated to be 50%, and by 2060, according to the report, Muslims will account for about 60% of the country.
The 2010 census of the Association of Religion Data Archives has also reported that 48.8% of the total population was Christian, slightly larger than the Muslim population of 43.4%, while 7.5% were members of other religions.
However, these estimates should be taken with caution because sample data is mostly collected from major urban areas in the south, which are predominantly Christian.
Islam dominates North-Western Nigeria (Hausa, Fulani, and others), with 99% Muslim, and a good portion of Northern Eastern Nigeria (Kanuri, Fulani, and other groups) Nigeria.
In the west, the Yoruba tribe is predominantly split between Muslims and Christians with 10% adherents of traditional religions.
Protestant and locally cultivated Christianity are widely practiced in Western areas, while Roman Catholicism is a more prominent Christian feature of South Eastern Nigeria.
Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are observed in the Ibibio, Anaang, Efik, Ijo, and Ogoni lands of the south.
The Igbos (predominant in the east) and the Ijaw (south) are 98% Christian, with 2% practicing traditional religions.
The middle belt of Nigeria contains the largest number of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria, who were found to be mostly Christians and members of traditional religions, with a small proportion of Muslims.
Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority of Muslims in Nigeria are Sunni belonging to the Maliki school of jurisprudence; however, a sizeable minority also belongs to Shafi Madhhab. A large number of Sunni Muslims are members of Sufi brotherhoods. Most Sufis follow the Qadiriyya, Tijaniyyah, or the Mouride movements. A significant Shia minority exists. Some northern states have incorporated Sharia law into their previously secular legal systems, which has brought about some controversy.
Kano State has sought to incorporate Sharia law into its constitution. The majority of Quranists follow the Kalo Kato or Quraniyyun movement. There are also Ahmadiyya and Mahdiyya minorities, as well as followers of the Baháʼí Faith.
Among Christians, the Pew Research survey found that 74% were Protestant, 25% were Catholic, and 1% belonged to other Christian denominations, including a small Orthodox Christian community.
Leading Protestant churches in the country include the Church of Nigeria of the Anglican Communion, the Assemblies of God Church, the Nigerian Baptist Convention, and The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations.
Since the 1990s, there has been significant growth in many other churches, independently started in Africa by Africans, particularly the evangelical Protestant ones. These include the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Winners' Chapel, Christ Apostolic Church (the first Aladura Movement in Nigeria), Living Faith Church Worldwide, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Evangelical Church of West Africa, Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Christ Embassy, Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, Celestial Church of Christ, and Dominion City. In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Aladura Church, the Seventh-day Adventist,t and various indigenous churches have also experienced growth.
The Yoruba area contains a large Anglican population, while Igboland is a mix of Roman Catholics, Protestants, and a small population of Igbo Jews.
The Edo area is composed predominantly of members of the Assemblies of God, which was introduced into Nigeria by Augustus Ehurie Wogu and his associates at Old Umuahia.
Nigeria has become an African hub for the Grail Movement and the Hare Krishnas, and the largest temple of the Eckankar religion is in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a total capacity of 10,000.
I hope you enjoyed this post
It sure took time to gather all these and thanks for taking the time to read!
