A Study of Nigerian History - Key Facts

Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Administrative units: $36$ States + Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Capital: Abuja (since $12$ Dec $1991$ ); centrally located, bordered by Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Niger
Former capital & commercial hub: Lagos – pop. $11.4\,\text{million}$ (largest in Nigeria; $2^{nd}$ in Africa after Cairo)
Other major city populations (approx.): Ibadan $3.3$ m; Abuja $1.6$ m; Kano $3.3$ m; Port Harcourt $1.2$ m

Oil & gas: > $80\%$ of national revenue; $1^{st}$ in Africa, $6^{th}$ worldwide producer
Other minerals: limestone, iron ore, coal, gold
Agriculture (local): yam, cassava, maize, millet, rice, onion, potato, pepper, beans
Cash-crop exports: cocoa, groundnut, rubber, palm produce, cashew
Livestock shortfall met by imports (mainly from Chad & Niger)

Independence: $1$ Oct $1960$ ; became Republic $1963$
Systems: Parliamentary (1960-66) • Presidential (current)
Three arms: Executive (President), Legislature (bicameral National Assembly), Judiciary
Term limits: President & State Governors – max $2$ four-year terms
National Assembly: Senate $109$ seats (each state $3$ + FCT $1$ ); House of Reps $360$ seats; unlimited re-elections
Local government: $774$ councils (Chairmen + Councillors)

Courts (ascending): Customary → Magistrate → State High → Court of Appeal → Supreme Court (headed by Chief Justice, appointed by President on NJC advice)
Northern states also operate Sharia Courts of Appeal (Qadis / Grand Qadis)
Legal profession split: Bench (judges) & Bar (practising lawyers)

Flag: vertical Green | White | Green (white = peace & unity; green = agriculture); designer – Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi
Coat of Arms: black shield (fertile soil), silver Y-band (Rivers Niger & Benue), supporting white horses (dignity), red eagle (strength), base flowers – cactus spectabilis
Currency: Naira & Kobo • Internet domain: .ng • Tel. code: $+234$

Area: $923\,768\,\text{km}^2$ (land $910\,768$ ; water $13\,000$ )
Population (July 2009 est.): $153\,828\,587$ ; growth rate $2.42\%$ ; birth rate $41.84$ / $1000$
Urban $48\%$ vs Rural $52\%$ (2008 est.)
Fertility rate $4.52$ (2010)
Literacy: total $68\%$ (male $75.7\%$ , female $60.6\%$ )
Life expectancy: total $46.94$ yr (male $46.16$ , female $47.76$ ) – 2009 est.

Ethnic diversity: $250$ – $400$ groups (highest concentration in Taraba & Adamawa)
Three dominant groups: Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo ≈ $66\%$ of population
Religious composition: Islam $50\%$ , Christianity $40\%$ , Indigenous beliefs $10\%$
Major languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Ful Fude, etc.

Nickname: “Giant of Africa” – most populous black nation; $3^{rd}$ -largest African economy (after South Africa, Egypt)
Active in ECOWAS (founder), African Union, UN, Commonwealth; Technical Aid Corps (TAC) supports developing states
Peacekeeping & election support (e.g., Liberia $2011$ )

Oldest university: University of Ibadan (est. $1948$ ); global ranking ~ $801$ / $1000$

Nok terracotta: $200\,\text{BC}$ – $900\,\text{AD}$ (southern Zaria / Benue)
Igbo-Ukwu bronzes: $9$ – $10^{th}$ C AD (Anambra) – advanced metalwork
Ife sculptures: $7$ – $9^{th}$ C AD – naturalistic brass/terra-cotta heads
Benin bronzes: from $15^{th}$ C; peak under Oba Ogunta; many looted in $1897$
Other centres: Tsoede/Tada bronzes (Nupe), Owo ivory, Esie stone figures, Oron ancestor wood (ekpu)
Wood carving widespread (Yoruba veranda posts, Gelede/Egungun masks; Igbo shrine figures; riverine Mammy-Water masks)
Ekoi (Cross River) combine wood & skin; Northern body painting with henna; bead jewellery among Yoruba & Fulani
Pottery: ubiquitous craft across ethnicities for cooking, storage & trade – tradition centuries old