Nigeria

Fast Facts

Location: West Africa

Capital: Abuja

Population: 217.7 million (2021)

Government Type: Federal Republic

Language(s): English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo (as well as over 500 other dialects)

Climate: Tropical (south), arid savannah (central), Sahelian desert (north)

GDP: USD $440.80 billion (2020)

Human Development Index Ranking: 0.539 (Low)

Overview

Nigeria is one of Africa’s most significant and important countries. It is the continent’s most populous, its largest economy by GDP, and the 3rd most ethnically diverse country not only in Africa, but in the entire world. Nigerian immigrants live across the world, with the USA, UK, and Canada being the most favoured alongside Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy, and South Africa. Famous Nigerians include professional athletes such as Israel Adesanya, legendary authors such as Chinua Achebe, and iconic musicians such as Fela Kuti.

And yet, despite so many important claims to fame and significant statistics, Nigeria still faces serious economic, security, and demographic issues. Nearly half of the population is under the age of 14, the terrorist group Boko Haram is active in the northern regions, and barriers to economic growth - such as poor infrastructure quality - cause the national economy to remain stunted.

History

Credit: Francis Tokede

It is worth noting that “Nigeria” as a singular country has only existed since 1914, but human habitation in the territory has existed for significantly longer. For that reason, the use of the term “Nigeria” prior to 1914 will specifically refer to “the area of modern-day Nigeria”.

The oldest evidence of human civilisation in modern-day Nigeria dates back to the Nok culture of roughly 500 BCE. Bronze Age archaeological finds in Nigeria identify artistic tradition, economic and religious relationships, and even evidence of trade - including coloured beads which may have come from modern-day Venice or India. By the 12th century, one of Africa’s first complex societies (known as the Igbo-Ukwu) arose as a trading empire, conducting exchange with the neighbouring Songhay, Yoruba, and Kaneem-Borno Empires. Igbo-Ukwu has been a major archaeological site for the discovery of advanced bronze-working techniques and artifacts. Debate exists over the validity of statements made regarding the “stateless-ness of pre-colonial Nigerian people”. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Nigerians in the north lived in predominantly Muslim areas under a form of centralised government not entirely unlike European societies. But the disagreement lies with southern Nigerian, non-Muslim areas. Some historians believe that because of a lack of centralised state control, communities in these areas are unable to be considered “states” or “empires”. More recent viewpoints, however, identify that this is only true under the European definitions of “states” and “empires”, and that the idea of statelessness does not apply under the Nigerian definition of a pre-colonial community.

The first missionaries to Nigeria were Catholics sent by the Portuguese, arriving in 1515, though traders followed soon after, exchanging spices, spirits, and - eventually - slaves. Beginning in the end of the 16th century, the slave trade grew to eventually ship to the New World 3.5 million slaves from Nigeria alone. The level of wealth generated by both Europeans and African kings led to the erosion of pre-existing trading patterns - such as the conversion of markets into slave-raiding stations, and the increased competition among imperial states within Nigeria itself. Nigeria was directly colonised by the British in 1884, when the Royal Niger Company (established to control trade in the region) acquired a monopoly over its French rivals. However, British rule in Nigeria (as with other African colonies) maintained a state of indirect control, allowing traditional leaders to maintain customs and administer local institutions under supervision. This system, along with the spread of Christianity and European ideals, was far more welcomed in the southern regions - causing inequality and tensions with those to the north.

Like so many other European colonies, Nigeria slowly secured its independence in the years after the Second World War, with full independence being granted in 1960. It was only six years later, however, that a coup d’etat was staged by the military, due to political structure weaknesses and rapid polarisation between social factions. Muslim Hausas had begun massacring Christian Igbos, forcing them to flee to the east where they were more ethnically dominant. But they did not believe the Nigerian military government would support them - as such, they declared independence as the Republic of Biafra in July, 1967. This action, followed by failure to resolve it diplomatically, triggered a civil war responsible for the deaths of over an estimated one million people, primarily through starvation, over the course of three years. Since the civil war’s conclusion in 1970, Nigeria has remained a united - but shaky and corrupt - democracy.

Economy

Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest economy, heavily bolstered by the generation and export of oil and petroleum reserves. Although this is largely responsible for such growth (accounting for about 9% of national GDP), it is not a good thing - oil prices, and, by consequence, much of Nigeria’s economy, are subject to rapid and severe fluctuations on international markets. This also leads to extreme wealth inequality, given that the vast majority of oil-sourced revenues remain in the hands of the few individuals that oversee them. In fact, just five of Nigeria’s richest men collectively hold nearly USD $30 billion, in a country where approximately 112 million live in poverty. Nigeria’s main imports include wheat, medicine, cars, and telephones.

But the economic situation in Nigeria is not completely devastating. The inflation rate has been falling each year, the growth of the services sector has expanded each year, and new (often unusual) sources of unemployment reduction are always emerging. Nigeria’s global diaspora also guarantees a source of incoming finances from external, wealthier countries.

The Hustle Capital of the World

Lekki Market in Lagos, Nigeria. Credit: Shawn Leishman via LSE

Nigeria’s informal economy is colossal - an estimated 200 million people (about 80% of the national population) are engaged in unregulated, simple transaction-based businesses, the third highest rate in the world (behind only Zimbabwe and Afghanistan). Perhaps more importantly, wealth generated by the informal economy is (understandably) not included in the national GDP - signaling that the actual amount of wealth generated per year in Nigeria is likely far higher than reported. This state of affairs comes from the context of already low market regulation, weak national policies, rapid urbanisation and demographic shifts, high unemployment, and a lack of mandatory registration of businesses with the government. As such, those who cannot find work normally, will often turn to “hustles” to afford essentials.

So, what kind of hustles do Nigerian people turn to? The short answer is, nearly anything and everything. The World Bank estimates that it includes day labourers, domestic workers, industrial workers, and more. More specifically, the Bank of Industry lists jobs including (but by no means limited to) street traders, subsistence farmers, small scale manufacturers, and private service providers (hairdressers, taxi drivers, carpenters, etc.). Many global economists do not look particularly favourably upon these informal businesses - their lack of taxed income means a loss (especially large in developing nations) of GDP for countries which could be spent on roads, schools, hospitals, and energy production. In Nigeria, this is especially true, given that an estimated USD $1.2 billion is generated by this economy alone. But optimists say that due to its extremely flexible and entrepreneurial nature, some of the least developed countries are able to point to the informal sector as being responsible for up to 90% of national employment. Furthermore, in times of crisis, informal economies are often turned to by local people due to their more reasonable prices.

Trivia

-Every year, on May 29th, Nigeria celebrates Democracy Day to mark the anniversary of the second restoration of civil administration following military rule.

-The town of Igbo-Ora has an extra high birth rate, due to it being the twin capital of the world. An estimated 16% of all live births result in twin children in this town, possibly due to dietary preferences supporting fertility.

-Nigerians are the most educated immigrant community in the United States. While the American national average for holding a university degree is 30%, this figure is as high as 60% among the Nigerian community there.

-The total number of languages in Nigeria equal 7% of all languages spoken in the world.