The
Federal Republic of Nigeria is a West African nation situated off
the Gulf of Guinea, south of Niger. The country is a former British
colony and attained its independence on the 1st of October 1960.
The country enjoyed a rather short-lived period of stability following
independence and the 1965 general elections brought about the beginning
of ethnic tensions in the country. The country was since then ruled
by a series of military coups and sectarian violence was ever-present
resulting in the deaths of many Nigerians. 1999 brought about a
new constitution and the return to civilian rule. Olusegun Obasanjo
was elected president of the federal republic.
Administration: the country is divided into 36 states and one
territory; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa,
Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu,
Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano,
Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo,
Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
People: the most populous nation in the world, Nigeria is home
to an estimated 131, 859, 731 people. The country’s main
ethnic groups are; Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Kanuri,
Ibibio, Tiv.
