Country profilesNigeria

Humanitarian profile

Nigeria is one of the world's major oil exporters but well over half of its people live on less than $1 a day. Since military rule ended in 1999, thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes in sporadic outbursts of violence across the most populous country in Africa. Meningitis outbreaks and HIV/AIDS are a concern. Water and sanitation facilities are still lacking in some areas.

Country snapshot

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, but lags behind South Africa in economic and political weight.

It has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and oil reserves, but is held back by rampant corruption, ethnic and religious tension, the scars of military rule and perhaps the "curse of oil" - a theory that its discovery in poor countries tends to make ordinary people there worse, not better, off.

Nigeria boomed when the oil price soared above $100 a barrel but has suffered as the global economic downturn brought the price crashing back down.

It is enjoying its longest period of civilian government since independence, and although the 2007 elections were marred by significant irregularities they marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in its history.

The country of 140 million people - as many as the rest of West Africa combined - plays an influential political and peacekeeping role in its region.

The economy aside, the main problems are communal violence in a country with a mainly Christian south and Muslim north, and strife in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Government

Umaru Yar'Adua, of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), has been president since winning 2007 elections which local and foreign observers said were marred by widespread vote-rigging.

He went to Saudi Arabia in November 2009 for treatment for a heart condition, raising concern about his fitness to govern.

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was meant to take over presidential powers when he left, but Yar'Adua himself signed a supplementary 2009 budget from Saudi Arabia.

In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the president is chief of state and head of government and may serve a maximum of two terms. The National Assembly has an upper Senate with representatives of the 36 federal states, and a lower House of Representatives.

Elections for both houses and for president are held every four years and are next due in April 2011.

Economy

Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa's biggest energy producer and its second largest economy, with growth in gross domestic product (GDP) running at about 7 percent a year in late 2009.

It has not diversified its economy and remains reliant on oil and commodities.

It planned to use revenues to raise spending by a third in 2010, to help lift the country out of an economic downturn, overhaul its shambolic power sector and develop the Niger Delta, the restive heartland of its oil industry. The spending would push the fiscal deficit close to 5 percent. The oil sector provides the lion's share of foreign exchange earnings and budget revenues.

Few Nigerians have benefited from oil wealth and this has led to violence in the Delta area, where trade in stolen oil has also fuelled corruption.

Apart from petroleum products, the main exports are commodities - cocoa and rubber.

Foreign investment is hampered by security fears, corruption, poor infrastructure and frequent power cuts. Average income is over $1,000 but many people live on a dollar or two a day.

In 2005 the Paris Club of rich lenders wrote off two-thirds of Nigeria's $30 billion foreign debt, with the country agreeing to thorough International Monetary Fund reviews. As a result the government has begun to implement market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF.

History

Nigeria's recent years are characterised by a struggle for fair elections and civilian rule, conflict sparked by the unequal distribution of oil wealth and frequent communal bloodletting, mainly between Christians and Muslims, in which thousands have died.

The area of Nigeria had city states, kingdoms and empires when the Portuguese arrived in the late 15th century. Millions of people were sent at slaves to the Americas over the next few centuries.

British influence began in the mid 19th century. The British colony gained independence in 1960 and had its first coup - and counter-coup - six years later.

In 1967, in the new republic's worst ethnic clashes, Igbos from the east were massacred and the eastern region tried to secede under the name of Biafra, starting a three-year civil war that ended with defeat for the secessionists.

The country has more than 250 distinct ethnic groups, the three biggest being the Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo.

General Olusegun Obasanjo seized power in 1976, steering the country to elections three years later - Africa's first modern military leader to hand over power to civilian rule. It did not last long. After fraudulent elections in 1983, the military seized power again. Generals Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar rule in turn during a period of more coups. The latter promised to restore civilian rule.

In 1999, Obasanjo, now a civilian, won a presidential election. His People's Democratic Party has been in power ever since.

In 2000, thousands were killed as non-Muslims and Muslims clashed over plans to reinforce Islamic Sharia law in the mainly Muslim north. Religious violence has continued to flare intermittently.

Obasanjo won a second term in elections widely seen as rigged, but failed in his efforts to change the constitution so he could stand again.

He chose Umaru Yar'Adua of the People's Democratic Party as his successor. Yar'Adua went on to win a disputed victory in 2007.

In 2004, Niger Delta activists demanding a greater share of oil income for locals began a campaign of violence against the oil infrastructure, including the kidnapping of foreign workers. It threatened Nigeria's most important economic lifeline.

Legal snapshot

Nigeria's legal system is largely based on English common law, but 12 northern states also observe Islamic Sharia law. Traditional law also plays a role locally. The imposition of Islamic law has embedded divisions and thousands of Christians have fled.

The country has accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction, with reservations. Nigeria has a Supreme Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

The country ranked 130th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2009 index measuring perceived levels of public-sector corruption (1st position is perceived as least corrupt). Business-anti-corruption, a website funded by northern European governments, said petty corruption was still widespread and a major obstacle for companies operating in Nigeria.

On the plus side Nigeria was trying to improve transparency in payments between extractive industrial companies and government entities and in the oil, gas and mining sectors in Nigeria. Some progress had been made on public procurement procedures.

On the minus side, surveys showed it was still very hard to do business in Nigeria without having to bribe public officials. Some companies were trying to avoid posting signs identifying their factories for fear corrupt officials would arrive seeking bribes.

It also said property rights, contracts and commercial disputes could be difficult to enforce in court due to corruption and inefficiency.

Nigeria gets an overall 'moderate' rating from U.S.-based non-governmental organisation Global Integrity in its report measuring anti-corruption measures, government accountability and civic freedoms.

Press freedom improved under Obasanjo, but restrictive decrees remain.

Media rights body Reporters Without Borders says Nigeria is often a violent place for the press, with journalists suffering beatings, unfair arrests and police raids.