Geography

Physical geography

Nigeria lies on the south coast of West Africa and covers an area of 923,770 square kilometres (slightly smaller than South Australia). The coastal strip along the Gulf of Guinea features mangrove swamps, lagoons and waterways, including the Niger Delta. Central Nigeria is a tropical rainforest belt and Northern Nigeria, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, has grassy plains that are subject to drought. A range of mountains runs along the eastern border with Cameroon, with the highest point being Chappal Waddi (2,419 metres).

Climate

The climate is varied and differs substantially from region to region. The south is hot and wet, with the rainy season lasting from March to November, while the north is hot and dry with one long rainy season from April to September. In December and January cool, dry winds blow off the desert, bringing relief from the humidity but creating a great haze of dust and sand. This is known as the Harmattan season.

Environment

Nigeria has extraordinary biological diversity, but is facing environmental disaster. A small number of reserves and national parks are home to more than 600 species of birds as well as chimpanzees, hippopotamuses, elephants and baboons. The demands of the increasing human population is leading to rapid deforestation.

Population

Nigeria’s population of 158,423,182 makes it the seventh most populated nation in the world. It has a rapid rate of urbanisation, with 50% of people living in cities. There are 10 cities with over one million people. The largest city is Lagos, with other urban centres being Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna and Port Harcourt. The capital city is Abuja.

People

Culture and identity

Nigeria has a rich mix of cultures, with over 250 different groups. The dominant ethnic groups are the Hausa-Fulani in the north, the Igbo and the Ijaw in the south-east and the Yoruba in the south-west.

In past centuries the area now known as Nigeria was the site of a series of powerful and technically advanced societies renowned for their artistic, commercial and political achievements. It was from roughly the same area that Bantu languages spread throughout central, eastern and southern Africa.

There are two World Heritage listed cultural sites in Nigeria: the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and Sukur Cultural Landscape. In north-eastern Nigeria, the Sukur Cultural landscape is a traditional settlement that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is one of the last primary high forests in Southern Nigeria and features numerous sanctuaries, shrines, sculptures and other artworks honouring the Yoruba people’s goddess of fertility, Osun.

The terracotta figurines of the ancient Nok people and the elaborate bronze work produced in the region are recognised worldwide. Today Nigeria is well known for its literature and music, and its film industry (Nollywood).

Health

Although there is free healthcare, facilities are poor and staff levels are low. Life expectancy at birth is just under 51 years (2009) and infant mortality is at 88 per 1,000 live births. Only 58% of the population has access to safe water and just over a third has access to sanitation. Food or water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and malaria are common. While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is declining (4% in 2009 from 5.4% in 2003), difficulties in running effective education programs and the low status of women contribute to infection rates.

Religion and beliefs

Religious beliefs strongly influence all aspects of life. The Hausa-Fulani are mostly Muslim, the Igbo are mostly Catholic, and about half the Yoruba people are Christian and half of them Muslim. Indigenous religious practices are important for about 10% of the population, mainly in the south, and are often blended with Christian beliefs. In the early 2000s some northern states introduced a stricter interpretation of Muslim Sharia law, with punishments of amputation, stoning and flogging.

Food and shelter

Grains and root vegetables are the staples throughout Nigeria. Palm oil, a reddish-coloured oil made from ground palm kernels, is the main cooking oil. Snack foods include fried yam chips, meat pastries and fried plantains. Peppery stews of vegetables and meat are common in the southern areas and seafood dishes are found along the coast.

Traditional village housing is predominant in rural areas, but tin is replacing grass for roofing. Hand pumps provide water.

Economy

Wealth and poverty

Nigeria’s economic development has been uneven. Despite the country’s relative oil wealth, poverty is widespread: 84% of Nigerians live on less than US$2 a day and 64% live on less than US$1.25 a day. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth. Nigeria was once a large net exporter of food, but now must import it.

Education and work

Primary education is free to age 15 and although basic it is improving. The differing adult literacy rates for women (50%) and men (70%) highlight inequalities between them. This is further demonstrated in parliament, where women hold only 7% of seats.

Almost two-thirds of those aged over 15 are employed in some kind of work. In 2004 just over 44% of the labour force was employed in agriculture.

Industries and products

Agriculture makes up about a third of Nigeria’s GDP, with the production of cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams and rubber; cattle, sheep, goats and pigs; and timber and fish.

Industries include the production of oil, coal, tin, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertiliser, printing, ceramics and steel, and small commercial ship construction and repairs.

Trade

In 2010 Nigeria’s main export partners were the USA (34.4%), India (10.5%) and Brazil (7%). In 2010, imports were from the USA (17.9%), China (16.6%) and France (5.8%). Exports of goods and services account for 39% of Nigeria’s GDP.

Government

The new constitution and peaceful transition to civilian government after 16 years of military rule has held since 1999. While elections in 2003 and 2007 were both marred by irregularities and violence, they have allowed shaky progress in confronting economic problems, human rights abuses and significant corruption and mismanagement to continue. The April 2007 handover of power was the first between two civilian governments in the country’s history.

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan took the office of President in May 2011 after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The government imposes very strict controls on the media and there are concerns among human rights groups about the operations of the country’s police force. The rights of women and children are also a significant issue.

Achievements and challenges

Regionally, Nigeria has played a leading role in peacekeeping efforts, most recently in Liberia, and has played a pivotal part in the establishment of regional institutions such as the Economic Community of West Africa and the African Union.

While Nigeria has one of the highest GDPs in Africa and has significant oil wealth, corruption remains a problem and poverty is widespread. Oil and gas continues to drive the economy and macro-economic reforms have contributed to economic growth.

Security remains a serious challenge for Nigeria, particularly in relation to the use of explosive devices by terrorist groups, including around the capital, Abuja. Nigeria also faces the environmental issues of rapid deforestation and desertification. In addition to having suffered serious damage from oil spills, Nigeria is also grappling with rapid urbanisation and the resulting air and water pollution.

The country has made steps towards improving living conditions but progress to achieving Millennium Development Goals has been slow. While almost 90% of children are enrolled in school, completion rates vary greatly from region to region.

Great improvements have also been made towards improving maternal health (MDG 5), reducing child mortality (MDG 4), and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and polio (MDG 6).

Links with Australia

Australian relations with Nigeria are active and are based primarily on Nigeria’s position in the British Commonwealth and as an economic and political leader in Africa.

Australia’s commercial links are expanding in Nigeria, and Nigeria is Australia’s second largest trading partner in Africa. Australian exports to Nigeria topped AUD42 million in 2010–11 and consisted primarily of plastic plates, sheets and film, butter, and animal oil and parts. Australia imports crude petroleum from Nigeria valued at AUD1.277 million. The 2006 census indicated that there are 2,500 Nigeria-born persons in Australia. New South Wales is home to 990; Victoria, 580; Queensland, 350; and Western Australia, 330.

The majority of Australia’s bilateral assistance to Nigeria has been delivered through capacity-building activities including Australia Awards (scholarships), trade and diplomacy training courses and study tour participation. Australia also provides support to community-based organisations in Nigeria through a range of grant schemes.

Australia is supporting the Humanitarian Futures Program to strengthen the regional and national capacity of a number of West African countries, including Nigeria, to anticipate and respond to disasters.

Nigeria also benefits from Australia’s support for regional and global activities in electoral management training, water and sanitation and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, where Nigeria is one of six African countries to have achieved compliance status.