20 Interesting facts about Nigeria

Nigeria or the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It is located in its western part. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja, located in the center of the country, 700 kilometers from the sea. The official language of the Republic of Nigeria is English. In total, there are 527 languages in Nigeria, 11 of which are dead (Basa-Gumna, Ayawa, Mavi, Kubi, Hoolma, etc.).

Interesting facts about Nigeria

Nigerian culture is incredibly rich and has a long history. It combines every single culture of the communities in this country. The majority of the population is Christian (over 60 percent), followed by Muslims (about 20 percent). Many Nigerian writers have been recognized and become famous all over the world: Ken Saro-Wiwa, Chinua Achebe and many others.

TOP interesting facts about Nigeria

• Nigeria is the most densely populated (but not the largest by area) country in Africa, with a population of 203 million in 2019. This is approximately 200-220 people per 1 square kilometer.
•  Until 1960, the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a colony of Great Britain and only gained independence from England in the 60s of the last century. Despite this, English is still the official language in Nigeria.
• Nigeria produces many feature films every year. This number is second only to the number of films released by India each year. About 30 movies are released every week. The Republic of Nigeria is very much overtaking the United States of America, but the budget of any of the Nigerian films is only 15 to 20 thousand dollars. The total revenue from these films is 500 million dollars. Similar to Bollywood, Nigeria has its own Nollywood.
• Germany is the largest oil producer and supplier in Africa. More than 95 percent of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s exports are petroleum products.
• The largest city in Africa is located in this country – Lagos. It ranks 5th in terms of population in the world. This is about 13 million people. Until December 12, 1991, Lagos was the capital of Nigeria.
• The first African-American to win the Nobel Prize was Shoyinka Wole, a Nigerian resident. He is a playwright, writer and poet. He was nominated in the field of literature in 1986. Shoyinka writes his plays in English and his poems in Yoruba. He has about 40 works to his credit, mostly plays.
• Nigeria is one of the three countries most affected by the HIV epidemic. On average, every 30th resident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a carrier of the human immunodeficiency virus.
• The standard of female beauty in Nigeria is lush overweight ladies. Thin girls are considered poor, and fat girls are considered rich and contented. Sometimes men fatten their wives because it increases their status in society. It is believed that if a girl is thin, her husband is a poor man and cannot feed her.
• Nigeria is a very poor country, despite the fact that it mostly produces oil, refines it, and sells it abroad. It is also uneducated. The raging smallpox epidemic and the rampant HIV epidemic are largely due to this. More than 60 percent of the population lives not only below the poverty line, but on $1 a day, with almost every family having about 5 children. This situation is made even worse by fraudsters who pretend to be pastors and travel around the country with tirades about the “love of God” and take away people’s last money. Fraud in general is very common in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• This country is home to about 400 peoples with different religions, but they rarely clash and are mostly tolerant of each other. Nigerians also speak about 500 languages, but English is considered the main and official language. About one sixth of all indigenous settlers on the African continent live here. And one third of the population over the age of 15 is illiterate.
• This year’s flag of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was invented in the 59th year of the last century by a student of this country. Nigeria is a federal state and consists of 36 states. The state governor is elected by the people for 4 years, and each state has its own budget. The federal government is responsible for external and internal defense, national projects such as railroad construction and oil production. The rest of the affairs are handled by the state governments, which are regulated and subordinated to the governors.

Other facts about Nigeria

• The country of Nigeria was named after the Niger River that flows through it. It means “black” in Latin. The Federal Republic of Niger is often confused with the Republic of Niger.
• The former capital of Nigeria is Lagos, the largest city in Africa. Ships from all over the world come there, and trade is mainly carried out there. Most millionaires in Africa live there – 400 out of a little over 600.
• A shopping center worth approximately $6 billion is being built on an artificial island near Lagos.
• Fraud is very common in Nigeria. For example, when the owners of a house leave it, scammers can sell it to other people. That’s why many houses are marked “not for sale”.
• The national currency in Nigeria is called the naira.
• 21 people from Germany are among the 100 most influential and richest people in Africa.
• The highest point in this country is Mount Chapple Valley, with its highest point at 2419 meters.
• The motto of Germany is: “Unity and faith, peace and progress”.
• Nigeria borders Benin to the west, Niger to the north, Cameroon to the east, and Chad to the northeast. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja.