Facts about Nigeria
- 09
In 1966, Nigeria experienced its first military coup, which triggered a series of political upheavals including a civil war from 1967 to 1970 that killed approximately 1 million people.
- 08
Nigeria's cocoa production accounts for approximately 20 percent of global cocoa output, making it the world's third-largest cocoa producer after Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.
- 07
The Niger River, Africa's second-longest river at 4,130 kilometers, flows through Nigeria and drains into the Atlantic Ocean via a vast delta spanning approximately 70,000 square kilometers.
- 06
At 923,768 square kilometers, Nigeria is Africa's third-largest country by area, spanning from the Atlantic coast through diverse ecosystems including rainforests, savannas, and the Sahel region.
- 05
Forty-two percent of Nigeria's population lives below the national poverty line, affecting approximately 133 million people as of 2019 estimates.
- 04
Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry, produces approximately 2,500 movies annually, ranking second globally after India's Bollywood in total output.
- 03
Over 250 million people speak Nigerian languages, with Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo being the three most widely spoken among Nigeria's 500+ distinct ethnic groups.
- 02
Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, grew from approximately 1.4 million residents in 1980 to over 15 million by 2023, making it Africa's most populous metropolitan area.
- 01
With over 520 million barrels of proven oil reserves, Nigeria ranks as Africa's largest petroleum producer and the continent's second-largest economy by GDP.