Nigeria Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Demographics == {{Main|Demographics of Nigeria}} {{See also|Social class in Nigeria}} [[File:Population density map of Nigerian states - English.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Population density (persons per square kilometer) in Nigeria|alt=]] The [[United Nations]] estimates that the population of Nigeria in {{UN_Population|Year}} was at {{UN_Population|Nigeria}}{{UN_Population|ref}}, distributed as 51.7% rural and 48.3% urban, and with a population density of 167.5 people per square kilometer. Around 42.5% of the population were 14 years or younger, 19.6% were aged 15–24, 30.7% were aged 25–54, 4.0% were aged 55–64, and 3.1% were aged 65 years or older. The median age in 2017 was 18.4 years.<ref name="People and Society: Population22">{{cite web |title=People and Society: Population |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/ |access-date=17 October 2018 |website=The World Fact Book |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> Nigeria is the [[List of countries and dependencies by population#Sovereign states and dependencies by population|world's sixth-most populous country]]. The birth rate is 35.2-births/1,000 population and the death rate is 9.6 deaths/1,000 population as of 2017, while the total fertility rate is 5.07 children born/woman.<ref name="People and Society: Population22" /> Nigeria's population increased by 57 million from 1990 to 2008, a 60% growth rate in less than two decades.<ref name="IEApop20112">[http://www.iea.org/co2highlights/co2Highlights.XLS CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012151137/http://www.iea.org/co2highlights/co2Highlights.XLS |date=12 October 2009}} Population 1971–2008 IEA [http://iea.org/co2highlights/co2highlights.pdf pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106205757/http://iea.org/co2highlights/co2highlights.pdf|date=6 January 2012}} pp. 83–85</ref> Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunne |first=Daisy |date=2023-02-17 |title=The Carbon Brief Profile: Nigeria |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbon-brief-profile-nigeria/ |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=Carbon Brief}}</ref> and accounts for about 17% of the continent's total population as of 2017; however, exactly how populous is a subject of speculation.<ref name="auto12">{{cite web |title=Human Development Data (1990–2017) |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/data |access-date=17 October 2018 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme}}</ref> Millions of Nigerians have emigrated during times of economic hardship, primarily to Europe, North America and Australia. It is estimated that over a million Nigerians have emigrated to the United States and constitute the [[Nigerian American]] populace. Individuals in many such Diasporic communities have joined the "Egbe Omo Yoruba" society, a national association of Yoruba descendants in North America.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 May 2007 |title=Egbe Omo Yoruba, National Association of Yoruba descendants in North America |url=http://www.yorubanation.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309144042/http://www.yorubanation.org/ |archive-date=9 March 2018 |access-date=29 May 2011 |publisher=yorubanation.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kent |first1=Mary Mederios |last2=Haub |first2=Carl |date=December 2005 |title=The Demographic Divide: What It Is and Why It Matters |url=http://www.prb.org/Articles/2005/TheDemographicDivideWhatItIsandWhyItMatters.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426083256/http://www.prb.org/Articles/2005/TheDemographicDivideWhatItIsandWhyItMatters.aspx |archive-date=26 April 2011 |access-date=6 June 2011 |publisher=[[Population Reference Bureau]]}}</ref> Nigeria's largest city is [[Lagos]]. Lagos has grown from about 300,000 in 1950<ref>{{Cite book |last1=McDonald |first1=John F. |title=Urban Economics and Real Estate: Theory and Policy |last2=McMillen |first2=Daniel P. |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-470-59148-2 |edition=2 |series=Wiley Desktop Editions |page=9}}</ref> to an estimated 13.4 million in 2017.<ref name="Major Urban Areas: Population">{{cite web |title=Major Urban Areas: Population |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/ |access-date=17 October 2018 |website=The World Fact Book |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. The three largest ethnic groups are the [[Hausa people|Hausa]], [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] and [[Igbo people|Igbo]], together accounting for more than 60% of the population, while the [[Edo people|Edo]], [[Ijaw people|Ijaw]], [[Fula people|Fulɓe]], [[Kanuri people|Kanuri]], [[Urhobo people|Urhobo-Isoko]], [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]], [[Ebira people|Ebira]], [[Nupe people|Nupe]], [[Gbagyi people|Gbagyi]], [[Jukun people (West Africa)|Jukun]], [[Igala people|Igala]], [[Idoma people|Idoma]], [[Ogoni people|Ogoni]] and [[Tiv people|Tiv]] account for between 35 and 40%; other minorities make up the remaining 5%.<ref name="NGeo">"Nigeria" in ''Geographica: The complete Atlas of the world'', Random House, 2002, {{ISBN|0-375-72037-5}}</ref> The [[Middle Belt]] of Nigeria is known for its diversity of ethnic groups, including the [[Atyap people|Atyap]], [[Berom people|Berom]], Goemai, Igala, [[Kofyar people|Kofyar]], Pyem, and [[Tiv people|Tiv]].<ref name="felix2" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4-rlVeb1n0C&pg=PA132 |title=Growing Apart: Oil, Politics, and Economic Change in Indonesia and Nigeria |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-472-06980-4 |page=132}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Suberu |first=Rotimi T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WKeUMmDlPkEC&pg=PA154 |title=Federalism and Ethnic Conflict in Nigeria |publisher=US Institute of Peace Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-929223-28-2 |page=154}}</ref> There are small minorities of British, American, [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Indian]], [[Chinese people in Nigeria|Chinese]] (est. 50,000),<ref>{{cite web |last=Politzer |first=Malia |date=August 2008 |title=China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=690 |access-date=7 June 2011 |publisher=Migration Information Source}}</ref> [[White Zimbabweans|white Zimbabwean]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Simpson |first=Sarah |date=August 2008 |title=Why white Zimbabwean farmers plan to stay in Nigeria |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0502/p04s01-woaf.html |access-date=7 June 2011 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]}}</ref> Japanese, Greek, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants. Immigrants also include those from other West African or East African nations. === Languages === {{main|Languages of Nigeria}} {{More citations needed|section|date=July 2018}} [[File:Nigeria linguistical map 1979.svg|thumb|upright=1.45|right|Map of Nigeria's linguistic groups]] 525 languages have been spoken in Nigeria; eight of them are now extinct.<ref>{{cite web |year=2019 |title=Nigeria |url=http://www.ethnologue.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912022921/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/NG |archive-date=12 September 2019 |work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |publisher=SIL International Publications |location=Dallas, TX |edition=22th |editor-first1=David M. |editor-last1=Ebihard |editor-first2=Gary F. |editor-last2=Simons |editor-first3=Charles D. |editor-last3=Fennig}}</ref> In some areas of Nigeria, ethnic groups speak more than one language. The official language of Nigeria, English, was chosen to facilitate the cultural and linguistic unity of the country, owing to the influence of British colonisation which ended in 1960. Many French speakers from surrounding countries have influenced the English spoken in the border regions of Nigeria and some Nigerian citizens have become fluent enough in French to work in the surrounding countries. The French spoken in Nigeria may be mixed with some native languages and English.<ref>{{cite web |title=Updated List of Tribes, Languages and Ethnic Groups in Nigeria - Kogi State Hub |date=6 April 2023 |url=https://kogistatehub.com/list-of-tribes-languages-in-nigeria/ |access-date=2023-04-11 |language=en-US |archive-date=11 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411145059/https://kogistatehub.com/list-of-tribes-languages-in-nigeria/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The major languages spoken in Nigeria represent three major families of [[languages of Africa]]: the majority are [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger-Congo]] languages, such as [[Igbo language|Igbo]], [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], [[Ibibio language|Ibibio]], [[Ijaw languages|Ijaw]], [[Fula language|Fulfulde]], [[Ogoni languages|Ogoni]], and [[Edo language|Edo]]. [[Kanuri language|Kanuri]], spoken in the northeast, primarily in [[Borno State|Borno]] and [[Yobe State]], is part of the [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]] family, and [[Hausa language|Hausa]] is an [[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]] language. Even though most ethnic groups prefer to communicate in their languages, English as the official language is widely used for education, business transactions and official purposes. English as a first language is used by only a small minority of the country's urban elite, and it is not spoken at all in some rural areas. Hausa is the most widely spoken of the three main languages spoken in Nigeria. With the majority of Nigeria's populace in the rural areas, the major languages of communication in the country remain indigenous languages. Some of the largest of these, notably Yoruba and Igbo, have derived standardised languages from several different dialects and are widely spoken by those ethnic groups. [[Nigerian Pidgin|Nigerian Pidgin English]], often known simply as "[[Pidgin]]" or "Broken" (Broken English), is also a popular [[lingua franca]], though with varying regional influences on dialect and slang. The pidgin English or Nigerian English is widely spoken within the Niger Delta Region.<ref>{{cite book |last=Adegbija |first=Efurosibina E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auI_WuBrWncC&pg=PA55 |title=Multilingualism: A Nigerian Case Study |publisher=Africa World Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-59221-173-9 |location=Last paragraph |page=55 |access-date=26 December 2008}}</ref> === Religion === {{disputed section|date=November 2023}} {{main|Religion in Nigeria}} {{see also|Secularism in Nigeria}} {{Multi image | image1 = Catedral Nacional em Abuja, Nigéria.jpg | image2 = Abuja Central mosque.jpg | image3 = The Cathedral Church of Christ Marina..jpg | image4 = | direction = vertical | caption1 = [[National Christian Centre|National Church of Nigeria, Abuja]] | caption2 = [[Abuja National Mosque]] | caption3 = [[Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos|The Cathedral Church of Christ Marina]] | caption4 = [[Anglican Diocese on the Niger|Cathedral Church of All Saints]] | total_width = 250 }} Nigeria is a religiously diverse society, with [[Islam]] (predominantly in the north) and [[Christianity]] (predominantly in the south) being the most widely professed religions. Nigerians are nearly equally divided into [[Muslims]] and [[Christians]], with a tiny minority of adherents of [[traditional African religions]] and other religions.<ref name="Cia 19">CIA Factbook: Nigeria [https://web.archive.org/web/20190110080854/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/401.html] (retrieved 9 May 2020)</ref> The Christian share of Nigeria's population is in decline because of the lower [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] compared to Muslims in the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last=McKinnon |first=Andrew |year=2021 |title=Christians, Muslims and Traditional Worshippers in Nigeria: Estimating the Relative Proportions from Eleven Nationally Representative Social Surveys |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13644-021-00450-5?platform=hootsuite |journal=Review of Religious Research |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=303–315 |doi=10.1007/s13644-021-00450-5 |hdl-access=free |hdl=2164/16008 |s2cid=233821494}}</ref> As in other parts of Africa where Islam and Christianity are dominant, religious [[syncretism]] with the traditional African religions is common.<ref>Chitando, Ezra (editor: Afe Adogame), ''African Traditions in the Study of Religion, Diaspora and Gendered Societies'', [[Routledge]] (2016), p. 31, {{ISBN|9781317184188}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=VMjeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA31]</ref> A 2012 report on religion and public life by the [[Pew Research Center]] stated that in 2010, 49.3% of Nigeria's population was Christian, 48.8% was Muslim, and 1.9% were followers of indigenous and other religions (such as the [[Hausa animism|Bori]] in the North) or unaffiliated.<ref name="Pew Forum on Religion2">{{cite web |date=18 December 2012 |title=Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Percentages |url=http://features.pewforum.org/grl/population-percentage.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101080244/http://features.pewforum.org/grl/population-percentage.php |archive-date=1 January 2013 |work=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project}}</ref> However, in a report released by Pew Research Center in 2015, the Muslim population was estimated to be 50%, and by 2060, according to the report, Muslims will account for about 60% of the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/01/the-countries-with-the-10-largest-christian-populations-and-the-10-largest-muslim-populations/|title=The countries with the 10 largest Christian populations and the 10 largest Muslim populations|first=Jeff|last=Diamant}}</ref> The 2010 census of [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] has also reported that 48.8% of the total population was Christian, slightly larger than the Muslim population of 43.4%, while 7.5% were members of other religions.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |title=Religious Adherents, 2010 – Nigeria |url=http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_166_2.asp |access-date=28 July 2013 |publisher=World Christian Database |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016175434/http://www.thearda.com/internationalData/countries/Country_166_2.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, these estimates should be taken with caution because sample data is mostly collected from major urban areas in the south, which are predominantly Christian.<ref name="Regional Distribution of Christians2">{{cite web |date=19 December 2011 |title=Regional Distribution of Christians |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-regions/ |access-date=28 July 2014 |publisher=Pewforum.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-muslim/Regional|title=Distribution of Christians}}{{dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=27 January 2011 |title=The Future of the Global Muslim Population |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/01/27/the-future-of-the-global-muslim-population/ |access-date=28 July 2014 |publisher=Pewforum.org}}</ref> According to a 2018 estimate in The [[World Factbook]] by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], the population is estimated to be 53.5% Muslim, 45.9% Christian (10.6% Roman Catholic and 35.3% Protestant and other Christian), and 0.6% as other.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/|title=Nigeria - The World Factbook|website=[[CIA]]|date=6 February 2024 }}</ref> Islam dominates northwestern Nigeria and northeastern Nigeria ([[Hausa, Kanuri people|Kanuri]], Fulani and other groups). In the west, the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] people are predominantly Muslim with a significant Christian minority in addition to a few adherents of traditional religions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Research note: Exploring survey data for historical and anthropological research: Muslim–Christian relations in south-west Nigeria |url=https://academic.oup.com/view-large/35408497 |publisher=Academic.oup.com |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> [[Protestant]] and locally cultivated Christianity are widely practised in Western areas, while [[Roman Catholicism]] is a more prominent Christian feature of southeastern Nigeria. Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are observed in the Ibibio, [[Efik people|Efik]], [[Ijaw people|Ijo]] and [[Ogoni people|Ogoni]] lands of the south. The [[Igbo people|Igbos]] (predominant in the east) and the [[Ibibio people|Ibibio]] (south) are 98% Christian, with 2% practising traditional religions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nigeria: a secular or multi religious state – 2 |url=http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/thursday/jide-osuntokun/46858-nigeria-a-secular-or-multi-religious-state-2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306085141/http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/thursday/jide-osuntokun/46858-nigeria-a-secular-or-multi-religious-state-2.html |archive-date=6 March 2014 |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The [[Middle Belt|middle belt]] of Nigeria contains the largest number of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria, who were found to be majority Christians and members of traditional religions, with a significant Muslim minority.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 November 2004 |title=The Middle Belt: History and politics |url=http://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/culture/11129114540.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229202021/http://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/culture/11129114540.html |archive-date=29 February 2012 |access-date=13 March 2012 |publisher=Nasarawastate.org}}</ref> ==== Conflicts ==== Since mid-2010, [[Boko Haram]] has terrorised northeastern Nigeria. In the following 12 years, according to the Council on Foreign Relations' "Nigeria Security Tracker", over 41,600 people died because of this group (as of October 2022).<ref name=":9">{{cite web |title=Nigeria Security Tracker |url=https://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigeria-security-tracker/p29483 |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Council on Foreign Relations}}</ref> Millions of people fled south or to the big cities, such as Maiduguri. However, the formula "Muslims against Christians" falls short.<ref>{{cite book |last=Olojo |first=Akinola Ejodame |title=Muslims, Christians and religious Violence in Nigeria: Patterns and mapping (2006-2014) |year=2016 |publisher=IFRA-Nigeria |isbn=979-1-09231255-3 |location=Leiden, Ibadan |pages=91–111}}</ref> Despite Boko Haram's murderous hostility towards Christians, most of their victims have always been Muslims, not least because the insurgency is taking place in a predominantly Muslim part of the country, mainly [[Borno State|Borno state]] in the far [[North East (Nigeria)|northeast of Nigeria]].<ref name=":9" /> The killing of such a large number of Muslims by Boko Haram, based on a broad definition of apostasy, is believed to have been one of the reasons for the group's split in 2016.<ref name=":10">{{cite web |title=Conflict in Nigeria Is More Complicated Than "Christians vs. Muslims" |url=https://www.cfr.org/blog/conflict-nigeria-more-complicated-christians-vs-muslims |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Council on Foreign Relations}}</ref> Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) data shows (as of March 2022) that Boko Haram attacks on churches have decreased over time, while attacks on mosques have increased.<ref name=":9" /> The lower number of Christian fatalities at the hands of Boko Haram probably reflects the fact that most of them have fled.<ref name=":10" /> Boko Haram has been in decline since at least March 2022. 40,000 of its fighters surrendered in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last=Report |first=Agency |date=2022-03-24 |title=Over 40,000 terrorists surrender to troops – DHQ |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/519364-over-40000-terrorists-surrender-to-troops-dhq.html |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Premium Times Nigeria |language=en-GB}}</ref> Since 2021, the [[Islamic State – West Africa Province|Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP)]] appears more dominant than Boko Haram. ISWAP is, for example, credited with the church attack in Owo at Pentecost 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last=Okogba |first=Emmanuel |date=2022-08-16 |title=Arrest of Owo church massacre suspects |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/08/arrest-of-owo-church-massacre-suspects/ |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Vanguard News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sunday |first=Ochogwu |date=2022-08-11 |title=Owo Church massacre: Two more ISWAP terrorists arrested, identities revealed |url=https://dailypost.ng/2022/08/11/owo-church-massacre-two-more-iswap-terrorists-arrested-identities-revealed/ |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Daily Post Nigeria |language=en-US}}</ref> === Health === {{further|Health in Nigeria}} [[File:Paediatric ward, General hospital, Ilorin.jpg|thumb|Paediatric ward, General hospital, Ilorin]] Health care delivery in Nigeria is a concurrent responsibility of the three tiers of government in the country, and the private sector.<ref>Akhtar, Rais (1991), ''Health Care Patterns and Planning in Developing Countries'', Greenwood Press, p. 264.</ref> Nigeria has been reorganising its health system since the [[Bamako Initiative]] of 1987, which formally promoted community-based methods of increasing accessibility of drugs and health care services to the population, in part by implementing user fees.<ref>{{cite web |title=User fees for health: a background |url=http://www.eldis.org/healthsystems/userfees/background.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=28 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128203803/http://www.eldis.org/healthsystems/userfees/background.htm |archive-date=28 November 2006}}</ref> The new strategy dramatically increased accessibility through community-based health care reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services. A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.<ref>{{cite web |title=Effect of the Bamako-Initiative drug revolving fund on availability and rational use of essential drugs in primary health care facilities in south-east Nigeria |url=http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/4/378 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828093311/http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/4/378 |archive-date=28 August 2007 |access-date=28 December 2006}}</ref> 48% of Nigerians report that they or a household member have fallen ill in the last three months. [[Malaria]] had been diagnosed in 88% of the cases and [[typhoid fever]] in 32%.<ref name=":13">{{cite web |date=2023-05-15 |title=Malaria Disease: A Worrisome Health Challenge in Nigeria |url=https://www.noi-polls.com/post/malaria-disease-a-worrisome-health-challenge-in-nigeria |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=NOIPolls}}</ref> High blood pressure was in third place with 8%. For symptoms of malaria, 41% of Nigerians turn to a [[hospital]], 22% to a chemist's shop, 21% to a pharmacy and 11% seek cure through herbs.<ref name=":13" /> The [[HIV/AIDS in Nigeria|HIV/AIDS rate in Nigeria]] is much lower than in other African nations such as Botswana or South Africa whose prevalence (percentage) rates are in the double digits. {{As of|2019}}, the [[HIV]] prevalence rate among adults of ages 15–49 was 1.5 per cent.<ref name=":0" /> [[Life expectancy]] in Nigeria is 54.7 years on average,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title={{!}} Human Development Reports|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/NGA|access-date=2021-02-04|website=hdr.undp.org}}</ref> and 71% and 39% of the population have access to improved water sources and improved [[sanitation]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Countdown Country Profiles|url=https://profiles.countdown2030.org/#/cp/NGA|access-date=2021-02-04|website=profiles.countdown2030.org}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, the infant mortality is 74.2 deaths per 1,000 [[live birth (human)|live births]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) - Nigeria {{!}} Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN?locations=NG|access-date=2021-02-04|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> In 2012, a new bone marrow donor program was launched by the [[University of Nigeria]] to help people with [[leukaemia]], [[lymphoma]], or [[sickle cell disease]] to find a compatible donor for a life-saving [[Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation|bone marrow transplant]], which cures them of their conditions. Nigeria became the second African country to have successfully carried out this surgery.<ref name=McNeil>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/12/health/a-match-and-a-mission-helping-blacks-battle-cancer.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all |title=Finding a Match, and a Mission: Helping Blacks Survive Cancer |last=McNeil |first=Donald |date=11 May 2012 |work=The New York Times |access-date=15 May 2012}}</ref> In the [[Western African Ebola virus epidemic|2014 Ebola outbreak]], Nigeria was the first country to effectively contain and eliminate the Ebola threat that was ravaging three other countries in the West African region; the unique method of [[contact tracing]] employed by Nigeria became an effective method later used by countries such as the United States when Ebola threats were discovered.<ref name="Matt Schiavenza">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/10/why-nigeria-stopped-ebola-but-not-boko-haram/381442/|title=Why Nigeria Was Able to Beat Ebola, but Not Boko Haram|first=Matt |last=Schiavenza|date=14 October 2014|work=The Atlantic|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="The Punch">{{cite news|url=http://www.punchng.com/news/us-sends-medical-experts-to-study-how-nigeria-contained-ebola/ |title=US sends experts to study Nigeria's anti-Ebola strategies |newspaper=The Punch |date=3 October 2014 |access-date=8 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205124719/http://www.punchng.com/news/us-sends-medical-experts-to-study-how-nigeria-contained-ebola/ |archive-date= 5 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Vanguard">{{cite web |url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/us-sends-medical-experts-study-nigeria-tamed-ebola/ |title=US sends medical experts to study how Nigeria tamed Ebola |first=Hugo |last=Odiogor|work=Vanguard |date=2 October 2014 |access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> The Nigerian health care system is continuously faced with a shortage of doctors known as "[[Human capital flight|brain drain]]", because of emigration by skilled Nigerian doctors to North America and Europe. In 1995, an estimated 21,000 Nigerian doctors were practising in the United States alone, which is about the same as the number of doctors working in the Nigerian public service. Retaining these expensively trained professionals has been identified as one of the goals of the government.<ref>{{cite web |last = Anekwe |first = Mike Chinedu |title = BRAIN DRAIN: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE (1) |publisher =[[Niger Delta Congress]] |date = April 2003 |url = http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/barticles/brain_drain_the_nigerian_experie.htm |access-date = 7 June 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110527134510/http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/barticles/brain_drain_the_nigerian_experie.htm |archive-date = 27 May 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> === Education === {{Main|Education in Nigeria}} [[File:Abisogun Leigh Science Building, Faculty of Science, Lagos State University.jpg|thumb|Abisogun Leigh Science Building, for the [[Lagos State University]]'s Faculty of Science]] Education in Nigeria is overseen by the [[Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria)|Ministry of Education]]. [[Local government areas of Nigeria|Local authorities]] take responsibility for implementing policy for state-controlled public education and state schools at a regional level. The education system is divided into [[kindergarten]], [[primary education]], [[secondary education]] and [[tertiary education]]. After the 1970s oil boom, tertiary education was improved so it would reach every subregion of Nigeria. 68% of the Nigerian population is literate, and the rate for men (75.7%) is higher than that for women (60.6%).<ref name=CP2006>{{cite web|title=Country Profile – Nigeria|publisher=[[United States Library of Congress]] – Federal Research Division|date=July 2008|url= http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Nigeria.pdf|access-date =28 May 2011}}</ref> Nigeria provides free, government-supported education, but attendance is not compulsory at any level, and certain groups, such as nomads and the handicapped, are under-served. Nearly 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5–14 years are not in school. Only 61% of 6–11 year-olds regularly attend primary school.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Education {{!}} UNICEF Nigeria |url=https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/education |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=www.unicef.org |language=en}}</ref> The education system consists of six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four, five or six years of university education leading to a bachelor's degree.<ref name=CP2006/> The government has majority control of university education. Tertiary education in Nigeria consists of universities (public and private), polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education. The country has a total of 138 universities, with 40 federally owned, 39 state-owned, and 59 privately owned. Nigeria was ranked 109th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2023, up from 118th in 2021.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=WIPO |title=Global Innovation Index 2023, 15th Edition |url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2023/index.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=wipo.int |doi=10.34667/tind.46596 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2021 |url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/|work=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|publisher=[[United Nations]]|access-date=2022-03-05}}</ref> === Crime === {{main|Crime in Nigeria}} [[File:Nigerian_female_police.jpg|thumb|A [[Nigeria Police Force|Nigerian police officer]] at the [[Eyo festival]] in Lagos]]The security situation in Nigeria is considered inadequate despite political stability. 68% of Nigerians feel "not safe" in their country. 77% do not know of an alarm number ("helpline") for emergencies.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-27 |title=7 In 10 Nigerians find "state of security" dreadful |url=https://www.noi-polls.com/post/7-in-10-nigerians-find-state-of-security-dreadful |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=noi-polls.com}}</ref> Nigerians, according to the above survey, fear being robbed (24%) or kidnapped (also 24%), being victims of armed bandits or of petty theft (both 8%), or being harmed in the herdsmen-farmers conflict (also 8%).<ref name=":14" /> This is followed by "ritual killings" (4%) and "Boko Haram" (3.5%). Respondents see "more security personnel and better training" (37%), "reduction of unemployment" (13%) and "prayers / divine intervention" (8%) as promising countermeasures.<ref name=":14" />[[File:Crime rate nigeria uk.jpg|thumb|Homicides by Nigerian state per year and per 1 million inhabitants, comparing the UK and Turkey (Source: Nigeria Security Tracker 1/2020-6/2023)]] The number of homicides in Nigeria varies greatly depending on the state. Metropoles such as [[Lagos]], [[Kano (city)|Kano]] and [[Ibadan]] seem much safer than rural areas. Kano has better statistics than the [[United Kingdom|UK]], with 1.5 homicides per year and 1 million inhabitants - which can be explained by the fact that the region's religious and morality police not only monitor the morality of the inhabitants and crack down on drug users, but also have a curbing effect on murder and manslaughter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nigeria Security Tracker |url=https://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigeria-security-tracker/p29483 |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en}}</ref> This contrasts with other cities that are also Islamic, such as [[Maiduguri]] and [[Kaduna]], which have worrying statistics on homicides. There is some [[piracy in the Gulf of Guinea]], with attacks directed at all types of vessels. However, security measures on board of mentioned vessels have recently meant that pirates are now more likely to attack fishing villages.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Igwe |first=Uchenna |date=2023-01-17 |title=Murder, kidnapping and arson: Nigerian pirates switch targets from ships to shore |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jan/17/nigeria-pirates-switch-targets-from-ships-to-shore |access-date=2023-10-04 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Internationally, Nigeria is infamous for a type of [[advance-fee scam]] along with a form of [[confidence trick]]. The victim is talked into exchanging bank account information on the premise that the money will be transferred to them. In reality, money is taken out instead. In 2003, the Nigerian [[Economic and Financial Crimes Commission]] was created to combat this and other forms of organised financial crime.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Establishment Act |url=https://www.efccnigeria.org/efcc/about-efcc/the-establishment-act |website=[[Economic and Financial Crimes Commission]] |access-date=1 July 2021}}</ref> The EFCC is quite active.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanni |first=Kunle |date=2023-01-04 |title=EFCC secures 3,785 convictions in 2022 |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/574055-efcc-secures-3785-convictions-in-2022.html |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Premium Times Nigeria |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Agbana |first=Rotimi |date=2023-05-20 |title=Corrupt politicians planning to flee before May 29 - EFCC |url=https://punchng.com/corrupt-politicians-planning-to-flee-before-may-29-efcc/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nigeria's President Tinubu suspends anti-corruption agency head |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/15/nigerias-president-tinubu-suspends-anti-corruption-agency-head |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> === Poverty === {{Main|Poverty in Nigeria}} According to the [[International Monetary Fund]], 32% of Nigeria's population lives in extreme poverty (as of 2017), living on less than US$2.15 a day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) (% of population) - Nigeria {{!}} Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY?end=2017&locations=NG&start=1985 |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> The [[World Bank]] stated in March 2022 that the number of poor Nigerians had increased by 5 million to 95.1 million during the Covid period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Olawoyin |first=Oladeinde |date=2022-03-30 |title=Number of poor people in Nigeria to reach 95 million in 2022 – World Bank |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/520849-number-of-poor-people-in-nigeria-to-reach-95-million-in-2022-world-bank.html |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Premium Times Nigeria |language=en-GB}}</ref> Accordingly, 40% of Nigerians live below the poverty line of US$1.90 as handled by the World Bank.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nigeria Poverty Assessment |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/03/21/afw-deep-structural-reforms-guided-by-evidence-are-urgently-needed-to-lift-millions-of-nigerians-out-of-poverty |access-date=2022-10-12 |publisher=World Bank}}</ref> The threshold amounts used internationally by the IMF and the World Bank do not take into account the local purchasing power of a US dollar.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} The methodology is therefore not without controversy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Perspective {{!}} The official U.S. poverty rate is based on a hopelessly out-of-date metric |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/09/16/official-us-poverty-rate-is-based-hopelessly-out-of-date-metric/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SOLVED:Why is it difficult to determine a universal poverty threshold? |url=https://www.numerade.com/questions/why-is-it-difficult-to-determine-a-universal-poverty-threshold/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=numerade.com}}</ref> Despite the undoubted existence of slums in Nigeria, for example, the fact that 92% of men and 88% of women in Nigeria own a mobile phone<ref>{{cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=92% of Nigerian adult males own mobile device, says GSMA |url=https://punchng.com/92-of-nigerian-adult-males-own-mobile-device-says-gsma/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}</ref> is difficult to reconcile with the poverty percentages published by the IMF and the World Bank. === Human rights === {{main|Human rights in Nigeria|LGBT rights in Nigeria}} [[File:Protesters at the endSARS protest in Lagos, Nigeria 19.jpg|thumb|[[End SARS]] is a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against [[police brutality]] in Nigeria.]] Nigeria's human rights record remains poor.<ref name="StateDeptHumanRights2">{{cite web|date=25 February 2009|title=2008 Human Rights Report: Nigeria|url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119018.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226175315/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119018.htm|archive-date=26 February 2009|access-date=20 March 2009|work=2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices|publisher=United States, Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor}}</ref> According to the U.S. Department of State,<ref name="StateDeptHumanRights2" /> the most significant human rights problems are the use of excessive force by security forces, impunity for abuses by security forces, arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, judicial corruption and executive influence on the judiciary, rape, torture and other cruel, [[inhuman or degrading treatment]] of prisoners, detainees and suspects; harsh and life‑threatening prison and detention centre conditions; human trafficking for prostitution and forced labour, societal violence and vigilante killings, [[Child labour in Nigeria|child labour]], child abuse and [[Child sexual abuse in Nigeria|child sexual exploitation]], [[Domestic violence in Nigeria|domestic violence]], discrimination based on ethnicity, region and religion. Nigeria is a state party of the [[Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women]]<ref>{{cite web|title=OHCHR | Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspx|website=ohchr.org}}</ref> It also has signed the [[Maputo Protocol]], an international treaty on women's rights, and the African Union Women's Rights Framework.<ref>{{cite news|date=17 March 2017|title=Failure to pass equality bill betrays Nigerian women, activists say|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-women-lawmaking-idUSKCN0WJ2L4|newspaper=Reuters|last1=Guilbert|first1=Kieran}}</ref> Discrimination based on sex is a significant human rights issue. Forced marriages are common.<ref>{{cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|title=Refworld – Nigeria: Prevalence of forced marriage, particularly in Muslim and Yoruba communities; information on legislation, including state protection; ability of women to refuse a forced marriage|url=http://www.refworld.org/docid/50b4ab202.html}}</ref> [[Child marriage in Nigeria|Child marriage]] remains common in Northern Nigeria;<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigeria's child brides: 'I thought being in labour would never end'|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/02/nigeria-child-brides-religion |last=Mark |first=Monica |date=2 September 2013 |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> 39% of girls are married before age 15, although the Marriage Rights Act banning marriage of girls under 18 was introduced on a federal level in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|last=Clarke|first=Joe Sandler|date=11 March 2015|title=Nigeria: Child brides facing death sentences a decade after child marriage prohibited|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/mar/11/the-tragedy-of-nigerias-child-brides|work=The Guardian}}</ref> There is rampant [[Polygamy in Nigeria|polygamy in Northern Nigeria]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Shoneyin|first=Lola|author-link=Lola Shoneyin|date=19 March 2010|title=Polygamy? No thanks|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/20/polygamy-nigeria-abuja-tradition|work=The Guardian |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> [[Domestic violence in Nigeria|Domestic violence is common]]. Women have fewer land rights.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Bioye Tajudeen |last1=Aluko |first2=Abdul–Rasheed |last2=Amidu |name-list-style=amp |url=https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/accra/papers/ts09/ts09_04_aluko_amidu.pdf |title=Women and Land Rights Reforms in Nigeria |date=2006 |publisher=5th FIG Regional Conference |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> [[Maternal death|Maternal mortality]] was at 814 per 100,000 live births in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) | Data|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT|website=data.worldbank.org}}</ref> [[Female genital mutilation in Nigeria|Female genital mutilation is common]], although a ban was implemented in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last=Topping|first=Alexandra|date=29 May 2015|title=Nigeria's female genital mutilation ban is important precedent, say campaigners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/may/29/outlawing-fgm-nigeria-hugely-important-precedent-say-campaigners|work=The Guardian}}</ref> At least half a million suffer from [[Urogenital fistula|vaginal fistula]], largely as a result of lack of medical care.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Nigeria, neglected women bear the shame of fistulas|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/6/11/in-nigeria-neglected-women-bear-the-shame-of-fistulas.html|website=america.aljazeera.com |last=Oduah |first=Chika |date=11 June 2015 |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=6 March 2002|title=The Dutch doctor and the river spirit|url=http://www.radionetherlandsarchives.org/the-dutch-doctor-and-the-river-spirit/ |website=Radio Netherlands Archives |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> [[Gender inequality in Nigeria|Women face a large amount of inequality]] politically in Nigeria, being subjugated to a bias that is [[Sexism|sexist]] and reinforced by socio-cultural, economic and oppressive ways.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ajayi|first=Kunle|date=2007|title=Gender Self-Endangering: The Sexist Issue in Nigerian Politics|journal=The Social Science Journal|volume=14|pages=137–147|via=Department of Political Science, University of Ado}}</ref> Women throughout the country were only politically [[Emancipation|emancipated]] in 1979.<ref>Epiphany Azinge, "The Right to Vote in Nigeria: A Critical Commentary on the Open Ballot System," ''Journal of African Law'', Vol. 38, No. 2 (1994), pp. 173–180.</ref> Yet husbands continue to dictate the votes for many women, which upholds the patriarchal system.<ref name="Ajayi, Kunle 200723">{{cite journal |last=Ajayi |first=Kunle |date=2007 |title=Gender Self-Endangering: The Sexist Issue in Nigerian Politics |journal=The Social Science Journal |volume=14 |number=137–147 – |via=Department of Political Science, University of Ado}}</ref> Most workers in the [[Informal economy|informal sector]] are women.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Fapohunda|first=Tinuke M|date=1 January 2012|title=Women and the Informal Sector in Nigeria: Implications for Development|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258344067 |journal=British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences |issn=2046-9578 |volume=4 |number=1}}</ref> Women's representation in government since independence from Britain is very poor. Women have been reduced to sideline roles in appointive posts throughout all levels of government and still make up a tiny minority of elected officials.<ref name="Ajayi, Kunle 200723" /> But nowadays with more education available to the public, Nigerian women are taking steps to have more active roles in the public, and with the help of different initiatives, more businesses are being started by women. Under the [[Sharia in Nigeria|Shari'a]] penal code that applies to Muslims in twelve northern states, offences such as alcohol consumption, [[LGBT rights in Nigeria|homosexuality]],<ref>{{cite news|date=16 June 2016|title=Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/13/here-are-the-10-countries-where-homosexuality-may-be-punished-by-death-2/|newspaper=The Washington Post |last1=Bearak |first1=Max |last2=Cameron |first2=Darla |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> infidelity and theft carry harsh sentences, including amputation, lashing, stoning and long prison terms.<ref name="UKtravel2">{{cite web|date=20 March 2009|title=Sub Saharan Africa, Nigeria|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria?ta=lawsCustoms&pg=3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524133652/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria?ta=lawsCustoms&pg=3|archive-date=24 May 2011|access-date=20 March 2009|work=Travel advice by country|publisher=United Kingdom, Foreign & Commonwealth Office}}</ref> Nigeria is considered to be one of the most [[Homophobia|homophobic]] countries in the world.<ref name="pewglobal.org2">{{cite web |url=http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/ |title=The Global Divide on Homosexuality |work=pewglobal |date=4 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Country policy and information note: sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, Nigeria, February 2022 (accessible version) |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nigeria-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-policy-and-information-note-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-or-expression-nigeria-february-2022-accessible-version#general-treatment-by-state-and-non-state-actors |website=Gov.uk |access-date=10 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hansford |first1=Amelia |title=More than 60 people remanded in jail for attending alleged gay wedding in Nigeria |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/09/05/nigeria-alleged-gay-wedding/ |website=PinkNews |date=5 September 2023 |access-date=10 October 2023}}</ref> In the 23 years up to September 2022, university workers in Nigeria went on strike 17 times, for a total of 57 months.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spooner |first1=Moina |last2=Oluwagbile |first2=Segun |title=Nigeria's endless lecturer strikes: insights from some essential reads |url=http://theconversation.com/nigerias-endless-lecturer-strikes-insights-from-some-essential-reads-190805 |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=The Conversation|date=18 September 2022 }}</ref> As a result, the 2022 summer semester was cancelled nationwide.<ref>{{cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2022-09-06 |title=Nigeria: students abandoned as teachers' strike drags on |url=https://www.africanews.com/2022/09/06/nigeria-students-abandoned-as-teachers-strike-drags-on/ |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Africanews}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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