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Legend:
Definition
Field
Listing
Rank
Order
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Background:
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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 was completed. The
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. Despite
some irregularities the April 2003 elections marked the
first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history.
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between
Benin and Cameroon |
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 N, 8 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 923,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of California
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690
km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km |
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Coastline:
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853 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in
north |
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Terrain:
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southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal,
limestone, lead, zinc, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 30.96%
permanent crops: 2.79%
other: 66.25% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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2,330 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and
water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water,
air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil
spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows
southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to
its delta in the Gulf of Guinea |
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Population:
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133,881,703
note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to
AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 43.6% (male 29,322,774; female
28,990,702)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 36,513,700; female
35,254,333)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 1,890,043; female
1,910,151) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 18 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 17.9 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.53% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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38.75 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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13.76 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 71.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003
est.)
male: 74.44 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 51.01 years
male: 50.89 years
female: 51.14 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.4 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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5.8% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3.5 million (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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170,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
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Languages:
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English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Federal Republic of
Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria |
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Government type:
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republic transitioning from military to civilian rule
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Capital:
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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
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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1 October 1960 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
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Constitution:
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new constitution adopted May 1999 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (only
in some northern states), and traditional law
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Olusegun OBASANJO
(since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO
(since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote
for no more than two four-year terms; election last held
19 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected
president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP)
61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%, Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (107
seats, three from each state and one from the Federal
Capital Territory; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (346
seats, members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next
to be held NA 2007); House of Representatives - last
held 12 April 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - PDP 53.6%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party -
PDP 73, ANPP 28, AD 6; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD
9.3%, other 8.8%; seats by party - PDP 213, ANPP 95, AD
31, other 7; note - two constituencies are not reported
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President);
Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the
federal government on the advice of the Advisory
Judicial Committee) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Democracy or AD [Alhaji Adamu ABDULKADIR];
All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All
Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Chekwas OKORIE];
National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI];
Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Audu OGBEH]; Peoples
Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA];
Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United
Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [Saleh JAMBO] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization
participation:
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ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNMOVIC, UNU, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Jibril AMINU
consulate(s) general: Atlanta and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20036 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Howard Franklin
JETER
embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205
FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353 |
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white,
and green |
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Economy - overview:
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The oil-rich Nigerian economy, long hobbled by political
instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic
management, is undergoing substantial 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 credit from the
IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. The agreement
was allowed to expire by the IMF in November 2001,
however, and Nigeria apparently received much less
multilateral assistance than expected in 2002.
Nonetheless, increases in foreign oil investment and oil
production kept growth at 3% in 2002. The government
lacks the strength to implement the market-oriented
reforms urged by the IMF, such as modernization of the
banking system; to curb inflation by blocking excessive
wage demands; and to resolve regional disputes over the
distribution of earnings from the oil industry. When the
uncertainties in the global economy are added in,
estimates of Nigeria's prospects for 2003 must have a
wide margin of error. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $113.5 billion (2002 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $875 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 45%
industry: 20%
services: 35% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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60% (2000 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini
index:
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50.6 (1996-97) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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14.2% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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66 million (1999 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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28% (1992 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $3.4 billion
expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts,
cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement
and other construction materials, food products,
footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics,
steel |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.4% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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15.67 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 61.9%
hydro: 38.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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14.55 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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20 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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2.256 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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275,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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27 billion bbl (January 2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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4.007 trillion cu m (January 2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet,
cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats,
pigs; timber; fish |
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Exports:
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$17.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
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Exports - partners:
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US 47.7%, Spain 10.0%, India 7.7%, France 6.1%, Brazil
(2001) |
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Imports:
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$13.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured
goods, food and live animals |
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Imports - partners:
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UK 8.8%, US 8.6%, Germany 7.9%, France 6.8%, China
(2001) |
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Debt - external:
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$29.7 billion (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA $250 million (1998) |
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Currency:
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naira (NGN) |
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Currency code:
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NGN |
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Exchange rates:
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nairas per US dollar - NA (2002), 111.231 (2001),
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