Nigeria 2019
Yearbook 2019
Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari won a second term on 23 February. The election was postponed unexpectedly a week after the electoral authority reported problems in getting ballots. Buhari received 55% of the vote. Main opponent Atiku Abubakar and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) refused to recognize the result, but the Election Commission rejected the protest. Unrest before and after the election required at least 39 dead. The turnout was just over 35% of the approximately 84 million eligible voters. In 2014, 43.6% voted.
Buhari’s party The Progress Congress (APC) also secured a majority in both chambers of the federal parliament. During the election campaign, the parties promised to create more jobs and improve infrastructure. Buhari swore in May 29.
At the end of August, Buhari appointed his new government. Twelve of the 43 ministers returned, including Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed. Her portfolio was expanded with budget issues. Buhari retained the Minister of Oil’s portfolio, but newly appointed Timipre Silva is expected to handle the daily rollout of Africa’s largest oil producer.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: Click to see the meanings of 3-letter acronym and abbreviation of NG in general and in geography as Nigeria in particular.
The government has a number of problems to master. Many people saw their income fall for the fourth year in a row. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported in May that the trend would continue for another six years. The official unemployment rate was set at 23% and had increased for 15 consecutive quarters. Nearly half of Nigeria’s population – about 94 million people – live on less than $ 1.90 a day, a measure of extreme poverty. The figure is higher than in any other country according to calculations by the World Data Lab.
In October, the IMF noted that growth in the second quarter was 1.94%, a slight decline and that it did not keep pace with population growth.
In July, Nigeria joined the new African Free Trade Agreement AfCFTA after some hesitation. The following month, its land borders were closed. The reason was said to be to stop the extensive informal trade in, among other things, rice and gasoline. Neighboring Benin is a major importer of rice from Asia that is being resold, which beats growers in Nigeria. Gasoline sales in Nigeria fell by almost 13% in October, a sign that quantities of subsidized gasoline were smuggling to neighboring countries. At the same time, customs revenue has risen in Nigeria.
This year was ten years since the extremist Islamist movement Boko Haram began its campaign of violence in northeastern Nigeria. Security forces, as well as villages and cities, were also attacked this year. About 2 million people live as internal refugees, the highest number since the conflict started according to Norwegian Refugee Council. Many live under difficult conditions. Over 27,000 people have been killed while the Red Cross estimates that 22,000 people have disappeared as families split. Over 100 of the more than 270 schoolgirls that Boko Haram robbed in April 2014 in the city of Chibok in the state of Borno were still missing.
In July, the Shiite Muslim Movement IMN (Nigeria’s Islamic Movement) was banned. The Iranian-friendly group’s supporters fought several violent riots with police in the capital Abuja. They demand that prisoner Ibrahim Zakzaky, imprisoned in 2015, be released to receive care. The majority of Muslims in the country are Sunnis.
South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa lamented attacks on Nigerians and other foreigners when Buhari visited South Africa in early October. A series of xenophobic attacks hit stores and companies owned by foreigners. Both African giants have extensive economic ties, for example in mobile telephony and retail, as well as oil exports.
Nigeria was close to being classified as polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the year. The whole of Africa would thus be polio-free.
Country data
Area: 923,768 km2 (world ranking: 31)
Residents: 190,886,000
Population density: 207 per km2 (as of 2017, world ranking: 7)
Capital: Abuja
Official languages: English
Gross domestic product: 375.8 billion US $; Real growth: 0.8%
Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 2080 US$
Currency: 1 Naira () = 100 Kobo
Embassy
Neue Jakobstr. 4, 10179 Berlin
Phone 030 212300,
Fax 030 21230212
www.nigeriaembassygermany.org
Government
Head of State and Government: Muhammadu BuhariOluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, Outside: Geoffrey Onyeama
National Day: 1.10.
Administrative structure
36 federal states and capital territory
State and form of government
Constitution of 1999
Presidential Federal Republic (in the Commonwealth)
Islamic law (Sharia) in 12 federal states in the N
Parliament (National Assembly): House of Representatives with 360 members; Senate (Senate) with 109 members, election every 4 years.
Direct election of the head of state every 4 years (one-time re-election). Right to
vote from 18 years.
Population of: Nigerians, last census 2006: 140,431,790 residents.
approx. 430 ethnic groups: 21% Hausa, among others, Hamitic and Tschadohamitic ethnic groups (Kanuri, Tuareg) in the N, 21% Yoruba in the SW, 15% I (g) bo, 6% Ibibio and others in the SO, 2% Tiv in the SO and nomads (Fulbe)
Cities (with population): (as of 2016, all A) Lagos 13,745,000 inh., Kano 4,155,000, Ibadan 3,160,000, Abuja 2,940,000, Port Harcourt 2,075,000, Kaduna 1,685,000, Benin City 1,495 .000, Onitsha 1,080,000, Maiduguri 1,065,000, Aba 1,040,000, Ilorin 960,000, Jos 925,000, Warri 915,000, Enugu 895,000, Zaria 895,000, Oshogbo 820,000, Sokoto 815,000
Religions: 49% Muslims (especially in N), 49% Christians (especially in the S); Followers of indigenous religions (as of 2006)
Languages: English; Kwa languages (including Yoruba, Igbo), Ful, Hausa; Edo, Ibibio, Kanuri, Efik, Ijaw, Nupe, Tiv, Urhobo, and others; French
Employed persons by economic sector
no information
Unemployment (in% of all economically active persons)
no information
Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 16.5%
Foreign trade: Import: 31.3 billion US$ (2017); Export: 44.4 billion US $ (2017)
Climate
Alternating humid tropical climate. The coast in the south has a hot and humid climate with very high precipitation (3000mm). To the north the rainy seasons decrease in duration and intensity.
In the far north there is the dry climate of the Sahel zone with an eight-month dry period that can have devastating effects.
During the dry season, the hot Sahara wind Harmattan (northeast trade wind) blows in the north.
Average temperatures are 26ºC on the coast and 29ºC in the north.
Climate classification according to Troll: from north to south 12 to 15.
Population 2019
According to CountryAAH, the population of Nigeria in 2019 was 200,963,488, ranking number 7 in the world. The population growth rate was 2.600% yearly, and the population density was 220.6524 people per km2.
