Nigeria at large. [10:21PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Crime Further information: Corruption in Nigeria , Confraternities in Nigeria , Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and 419 Scams Nigeria is home to a substantial network of organised crime, active especially in drug trafficking. Nigerian criminal groups are heavily involved in drug trafficking, shipping heroin from Asian countries to Europe and America; and cocaine from South America to Europe and South Africa. . [158] The various Nigerian Confraternities or campus cults are active in both organised crime and in political violence as well as providing a network of corruption within Nigeria. As confraternities have extensive connections with political and military figures, they offer excellent alumni networking opportunities. The Supreme Vikings Confraternity, for example, boasts that twelve members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are cult members. [159] On lower levels of society, there are the area boys , organised gangs mostly active in Lagos who specialise in mugging and small-scale drug dealing. According to official statistics, gang violence in Lagos resulted in 273 civilians and 84 policemen killed in the period of August 2000 to May 2001. [160] Internationally, Nigeria is infamous for a form of bank fraud dubbed 419, a type of advance fee fraud (named after Section 419 of the Nigerian Penal Code) along with the Nigerian scam, a form of confidence trick practiced by individuals and criminal syndicates. [161] These scams involve a complicit Nigerian bank (the laws being set up loosely to allow it) and a scammer who claims to have money he needs to obtain from that bank. The victim is talked into exchanging bank account information on the premise that the money will be transferred to him, and then hell get to keep a cut. In reality, money is taken out instead, and/or large fees (which seem small in comparison with the imaginary wealth he awaits) are deducted. In 2003, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (or EFCC) was created, ostensibly to combat this and other forms of organised financial crime. [162] There is also some major piracy in Nigeria , with attacks directed at all types of vessels. Consistent with the rise of Nigeria as an increasingly dangerous hot spot, 28 of the 30 seafarers kidnapped as of January–June 2013 were in Nigeria, not in Somalia (the remaining two were in Togo). Additionally, the single death to date in 2013 occurred in Nigeria. [163] Nigeria is also pervaded by political corruption . It is ranked 143 out of 182 countries in Transparency International s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index. More than $400 billion was stolen from the treasury by Nigerias leaders between 1960 and 1999 also up to date. [10:25PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Religion in Nigeria Religion in Nigeria (2011) [131] Islam (50.4%) Christianity (48.2%) Animist and Others (1.4%) The Abuja National Mosque . National Church of Nigeria , Abuja . Nigeria is religiously diverse society with Islam and Christianity being the most widely professed religions. According to recent estimates, 50% of Nigerias population adheres to Islam (mainly Sunni ). Christianity is practiced by 48% of the population (74% Protestant , 25% Catholic , 1% other Christian [132] ). Adherents of Animism and other religions collectively represent 1.4% of the population. [131] All religions represented in Nigeria were practiced in every major city in 1990. Islam dominated the north and had a number of supporters in the South Western, Yoruba part of the country. Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa. Protestantism and local syncretic Christianity are also in evidence in Yoruba areas, while Catholicism dominates the Igbo and closely related areas. Both Protestantism and Catholicism dominated in the Ibibio, Annang , and the Efik kiosa lands. The 1963 census indicated that 47% of Nigerians were Muslim, 35% Christian, and 18% members of local indigenous congregations; the results of this census were disputed however. If accurate, this indicated a sharp increase since 1953 in the number of Christians (up 13%); a slight decline among those professing indigenous beliefs, compared with 20%; and only a modest (4%) increase of Muslims. The vast majority of Muslims in Nigeria are Sunni belonging to Maliki school of jurisprudence ; however, a sizeable minority also belongs to Shafi madhhab. A large number of Sunni Muslims are members of Sufi brotherhoods. Most Sufis follow the Qadiriyya , Tijaniyyah and/or the Mouride movements. A significant Shia minority exists ( see Shia in Nigeria ). Some northern states have incorporated Sharia law into their previously secular legal systems, which has brought about some controversy. [133] Kano State has sought to incorporate Sharia law into its constitution. [134] The majority of Quranists follow the Kalo Kato or Quraniyyun movement. There are also Ahmadiyya and Mahdiyya minorities. [135] According to a 2001 report [136] of The World Factbook by CIA , about 50% of Nigerias population was Muslim , 40% were Christians and 10% adhered to local religions. [137] Other sources give higher estimates for the countrys Christian population. A 2012 report on religion and public life by the Pew Research Center stated that in 2010, 49.3 percent of Nigerias population was Christian, 48.8 percent was Muslim, and 1.9 percent were followers of indigenous and other religions, or unaffiliated. [138] The 2010 census of Association of Religion Data Archives has also reported that 46.5 percent of the total population was Christian, slightly larger than the Muslim population (45.5 percent), while 7.7 percent were members of other religious groups. [139] 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.[140][141] [142] Among Christians, the Pew Research survey found that 74% were Protestant , 25% were Catholic , and 1% belonged to other Christian denominations, including a small Orthodox Christian community.[132] In terms of Nigerias major ethnic groups, the Hausa ethnic group (predominant in the north) was found to be 95% Muslim and 5% Christian, the Yoruba tribe (predominant in the west) was 55% Muslim, 35% Christian and 10% adherents of other religions, while the Igbos (predominant in the east) and the Ijaw (south) were 98% Christian, with 2% practicing traditional religions. [143] The middle belt of Nigeria contains the largest number of minority ethnic groups in Nigeria, who were found to be mostly Christians and members of traditional religions, with a small proportion of Muslims. [144][145] Leading Protestant churches in the country include the Church of Nigeria of the Anglican Communion, the Assemblies of God Church , the Nigerian Baptist Convention and The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations Since the 1990s, there has been significant growth in many other churches, particularly those of Evangelical theology. These include the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Winners Chapel , Christ Apostolic Church (the first Aladura Movement in Nigeria), Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Evangelical Church of West Africa , Mountain of Fire and Miracles, Christ Embassy, The Synagogue Church Of All Nations. In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Aladura Church , the Seventh-day Adventist and various indigenous churches have also experienced growth. [146][147] Other leading Protestant churches in the country are the Church of Nigeria of the Anglican Communion, the Assemblies of God Church , the Nigerian Baptist Convention and The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations . The Yoruba area contains a large Anglican population, while Igboland is predominantly Catholic and the Edo area is composed predominantly of members of the Assemblies of God, which was introduced into Nigeria by Augustus Ehurie Wogu and his associates at Old Umuahia. Further, Nigeria has become an African hub for the Grail Movement and the Hare Krishnas , [148] and the largest temple of the Eckankar religion is in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a total capacity of 10,000. [10:26PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Ethnic groups A Hausa harpist Igbo men Yorub Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. The largest ethnic groups are the Hausa , Yoruba , Igbo and Fulani , accounting for more than 70% of the population, while the Edo, Ijaw , Kanuri , Ibibio , Ebira, Nupe, Gwari , Itsekiri , Jukun, Urhobo, Igala , Idoma and Tiv comprise between 25 and 30%; other minorities make up the remaining 5%. [123] The middle belt of Nigeria is known for its diversity of ethnic groups, including the Pyem, Goemai, and Kofyar. The official population count of each of Nigerias ethnicities has always remained controversial and disputed as members of different ethnic groups believe the census is rigged to give a particular group (usually believed to be northern groups) numerical superiority.[80][124][125] There are small minorities of British, American, East Indian , Chinese (est. 50,000), [126] white Zimbabwean , [127] Japanese, Greek, Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in Nigeria. Immigrants also include those from other West African or East African nations. These minorities mostly reside in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja , or in the Niger Delta as employees for the major oil companies. A number of Cubans settled in Nigeria as political refugees following the Cuban Revolution . In the middle of the 19th century, a number of ex-slaves of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian descent [128] and emigrants from Sierra Leone established communities in Lagos and other regions of Nigeria. Many ex-slaves came to Nigeria following the emancipation of slaves in the Americas. Many of the immigrants, sometimes called Saros (immigrants from Sierra Leone) and Amaro (ex-slaves from Brazil) [129] later became prominent merchants and missionaries in these cities. [10:27PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Population density in Nigeria Population in Nigeria [112] Year Million 1971 55 1980 71 1990 95 2000 125 2004 138 2008 151 Population in Nigeria increased from 1990 to 2008 by 57 million a 60% growth rate. [112] Almost half of the countrys population is 14 years old or younger. [113] Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and accounts for about 18% of the continents total population, however, exactly how populous is a subject of speculation. [114] The United Nations estimates that the population in 2009 was at 154,729,000, distributed as 51.7% rural and 48.3% urban, and with a population density of 167.5 people per square kilometre. National census results in the past few decades have been disputed. The results of the most recent census were released in December 2006 and gave a population of 140,003,542. The only breakdown available was by gender: males numbered 71,709,859, females numbered 68,293,08. On June 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan said that Nigerians should limit their number of children. [115] According to the United Nations, Nigeria has been undergoing explosive population growth and has one of the highest growth and fertility rates in the world. By their projections, Nigeria is one of eight countries expected to account collectively for half of the worlds total population increase from 2005–2050. [116] By 2100 the UN estimates that the Nigerian population will be between 505 million and 1.03 billion people (middle estimate: 730 million). [117] In 1950, Nigeria had only 33 million people. [118] One in four Africans is a Nigerian. [119] Presently, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world . 2006 estimates claim 42.3% of the population is between 0–14 years of age, while 54.6% is between 15–65; the birth rate is significantly higher than the death rate, at 40.4 and 16.9 per 1000 people respectively. [120] Nigerias largest city is Lagos. Lagos has grown from about 300,000 in 1950 [121] to an estimated 15 million today, and the Nigerian government estimates that city will have expanded to 25 million residents by 2015. [10:30PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Government satellites The Nigerian government has commissioned the overseas production and launch of four satellites. The Nigeriasat-1 was the first satellite to be built under the Nigerian government sponsorship. The satellite was launched from Russia on 27 September 2003. Nigeriasat-1 was part of the world-wide Disaster Monitoring Constellation System. [107] The primary objectives of the Nigeriasat-1 were: to give early warning signals of environmental disaster; to help detect and control desertification in the northern part of Nigeria; to assist in demographic planning; to establish the relationship between malaria vectors and the environment that breeds malaria and to give early warning signals on future outbreaks of meningitis using remote sensing technology; to provide the technology needed to bring education to all parts of the country through distant learning; and to aid in conflict resolution and border disputes by mapping out state and International borders. NigeriaSat-2, Nigerias second satellite, was built as a high-resolution earth satellite by Surrey Space Technology Limited, a United Kingdom-based satellite technology company. It has 2.5-metre resolution panchromatic (very high resolution), 5-metre multispectral (high resolution, NIR red, green and red bands), and 32-metre multispectral (medium resolution, NIR red, green and red bands) antennas, with a ground receiving station in Abuja. The NigeriaSat-2 spacecraft alone was built at a cost of over £35 million. This satellite was launched into orbit from a military base in China. [107] NigComSat-1 , a Nigerian satellite built in 2004, was Nigerias third satellite and Africas first communication satellite. It was launched on 13 May 2007, aboard a Chinese Long March 3B carrier rocket , from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. The spacecraft was operated by NigComSat and the Nigerian Space Agency, NASRDA . On 11 November 2008, NigComSat-1 failed in orbit after running out of power due to an anomaly in its solar array. It was based on the Chinese DFH-4 satellite bus, and carries a variety of transponders : 4 C-band ; 14 Ku-band ; 8 Ka- band ; and 2 L-band . It was designed to provide coverage to many parts of Africa, and the Ka-band transponders would also cover Italy. On 10 November 2008 (0900 GMT), the satellite was reportedly switched off for analysis and to avoid a possible collision with other satellites. According to Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, it was put into emergency mode operation in order to effect mitigation and repairs. [108] The satellite eventually failed after losing power on 11 November 2008. On 24 March 2009, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, NigComSat Ltd. and CGWIC signed another contract for the in-orbit delivery of the NigComSat-1R satellite. NigComSat-1R was also a DFH-4 satellite, and the replacement for the failed NigComSat-1 was successfully launched into orbit by China in Xichang on December 19, 2011. [109][110] The satellite according to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan which was paid for by the insurance policy on NigComSat-1 which de-orbited in 2009, would have a positive impact on national development in various sectors such as communications, internet services, health, agriculture, environmental protection and national security.[111] [10:32PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: British Nigeria (1800–1960) Main article: British Nigeria The slave trade was engaged in by European state and non-state actors such as Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal and private companies, as well as various African states and non-state actors. With rising anti-slavery sentiment at home and changing economic realities, Great Britain outlawed the international slave trade in 1807. Following the Napoleonic Wars , Great Britain established the West Africa Squadron in an attempt to halt the international traffic in slaves. [34] It stopped ships of other nations that were leaving the African coast with slaves; the seized slaves were taken to Freetown , a colony in West Africa originally established for the resettlement of freed slaves from Britain. Benin City in the 17th century with the Oba of Benin in procession. This image appeared in a European book, Description of Africa, published in Amsterdam in 1668. [35] In 1885, British claims to a West African sphere of influence received recognition from other European nations. The following year, it chartered the Royal Niger Company under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie . In 1900 the companys territory came under the control of the British government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On 1 January 1901, Nigeria became a British protectorate , and part of the British Empire , the foremost world power at the time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the independent kingdoms of what would become Nigeria fought a number of conflicts against the British Empires efforts to expand its territory. By war, the British conquered Benin in 1897, and, in the Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902), defeated other opponents. The restraint or conquest of these states opened up the Niger area to British rule. In 1914, the British formally united the Niger area as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria . Administratively, Nigeria remain divided into the northern and southern Protectorates and Lagos Colony . Inhabitants of the southern region sustained more interaction, economic and cultural, with the British and other Europeans due to the coastal economy. Christian missions established Western educational institutions in the Protectorates. Under Britains policy of indirect rule and validation of Islamic tradition, the Crown did not encourage the operation of Christian missions in the northern, Islamic part of the country. [36] Some children of the southern elite went to Great Britain to pursue higher education. By independence in 1960, regional differences in modern educational access were marked. The legacy, though less pronounced, continues to the present-day. Imbalances between North and South were expressed in Nigerias political life as well. For instance, northern Nigeria did not outlaw slavery until 1936 whilst in other parts of Nigeria slavery was abolished soon after colonialism. [37] Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, successive constitutions legislated by the British government moved Nigeria toward self-government on a representative and increasingly federal basis. By the middle of the 20th century, a great wave for independence was sweeping across Africa. Nigeria achieved independence in 1960. [10:37PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Civil war (1967–1970) Main article: Nigerian Civil War The independent state of the Republic of Biafra in June 1967 The disquilibrium and perceived corruption of the electoral and political process led, in 1966, to several back-to-back military coups . The first coup was in January 1966 and led by Igbo soldiers under Majors Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu . It was partially successful; the coup plotters murdered Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Premier Ahmadu Bello of the Northern Region and Premier Ladoke Akintola of the Western Region. But, the coup plotters struggled to form a central government. President Nwafor Orizu handed over government control to the Army, then under the command of another Igbo officer, General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi . Later, the counter-coup of 1966 , supported primarily by Northern military officers, facilitated the rise of Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon to head of state. This sequence of events led to an increase in ethnic tension and violence. In May 1967, the Eastern Region declared independence as a state called the Republic of Biafra , under the leadership of Lt Colonel Emeka Ojukwu. [39] The Nigerian Civil War began as the official Nigerian government side (predominated by soldiers from the North and West) attacked Biafra (Southeastern) on 6 July 1967 at Garkem. The 30 month war, with a long siege of Biafra and its isolation from trade and supplies, ended in January 1970. [40] Estimates of the number of dead in the former Eastern Region are between 1 and 3 million people, from warfare, disease, and starvation , during the 30-month civil war . [41] France, Egypt, the Soviet Union, Britain and others were deeply involved in the civil war behind the scenes. Britain and the Soviet Union were the main military backers of the Nigerian government while France and others aided the Biafrans. Nigeria used Egyptian pilots for their air force. [10:40PM, 12/30/2014] abdurrahman ahmad: Democratization (1999–) Bida Emirate durbar festival, 2001 Nigeria regained democracy in 1999 when it elected Olusegun Obasanjo, the former military head of state, as the new President of Nigeria . This ended almost 33 years of military rule (from 1966 until 1999), excluding the short- lived second republic (between 1979 and 1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups détat and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–1979 and 1983–1998 . Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development. Ethnic violence for control over the oil- producing Niger Delta region and inadequate infrastructures are some of the issues in the country. Umaru YarAdua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came into power in the general election of 2007 . The international community has been observing Nigerian elections to encourage a free and fair process, and condemned this one as being severely flawed. [52] YarAdua died on 5 May 2010. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as YarAduas replacement on 6 May 2010, [53] becoming Nigerias 14th Head of State, while his vice- president, Namadi Sambo , an architect and former Kaduna State governor, was chosen on 18 May 2010, by the National Assembly. His confirmation followed President Jonathans nomination of Sambo to that position. [54][55] Goodluck Jonathan served as Nigerias president till 16 April 2011, when a new presidential election in Nigeria was conducted. Jonathan of the PDP was declared the winner on 19 April 2011, having won the election with a total of 22,495,187 of the 39,469,484 votes cast, to stand ahead of Muhammadu Buhari from the main opposition party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) , which won 12,214,853 of the total votes cast. [56] The international media reported the elections as having run smoothly with relatively little violence or voter fraud, in contrast to previous elections. Happy new year.
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