A number one known civilization within Nigeria was that of the Nok. A Nok were an iron age population existing from either Five hundred bce until astir 200 ce on the Jos tableland within northerly-eastern Nigeria. A Kanem-Bornu Empire near Lake Chad dominated northern Nigeria for over 600 years, prospering as a terminal of northward-south trade between Northward African Berbers and forward humans. In the early 19th century, Usman dan Fodio brought most areas north under a free control of an Islamic empire centered at Sokoto.

A kingdoms of Ife and Oyo in the southwest and Benin in the south developed elaborate systems of political organization in the 15th, Sixteenth & Seventeenth centuries. Ife & Benwithin are noted for their prized artistic works in ivory, wood, bronze, and brass.

In a southeast, a thickly settled village-networks of the Igbo & more acephalous groups such as the Ibibio were governed by forearm African notions of equalitarianism & democracy. A bit of of a oldest art encountered inside West Africa was recovered in that area, by using a Igbo-Ukwu bronze sculptures existence among the best known.

inside the Seventeenth across Nineteenth centuries, European dealer established coastal ports for the increasing traffic in slaves destined for the American continent. Trade good trade replaced slave trade in the 19th century.

A Royal Niger Company was chartered by the British government in 1886. Northern & Southern Nigeria became British associated state inside 1901 & were amalgamated into one colony inside 1914. Around response to the incubation of Nigerian nationalism ensuing World War II, the British moved the colony towards self-self-rule in a federal basis.

Nigerithe won to the full independence around 1960, as a federation of iii regions, to each one retaining a material measure of self-self-determination. At a instance of Nigeria's total 1 elections within 1959, there were the number of large parties - Nnamdi Azikiwe's National Council of Nigerian & a Cameroons (NCNC) which experienced control of the Eastern Region, Ahmadu Bello's Northern Population's Congress (NPC), which got control of the Northern Region & Obafemi Awolowo's Action Class action (AG) which experienced control of the American Area.

Once there are no person won the majority around a period of a 1959 elections, the NPC combined sustaining the NCNC to form a government, & after independence arrived in 1960, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was made a Prime Minister, & Nnamdi Azikiwe was made a Governor General.

When using good deal of Nigerian history, severe conflicts developed in a regnant coalition. Around 1962, a portion of a Action Class action split bump off to form the Nigerian National Democratic Person (NNDP), led by S.I personally. Akintola. Inside 1963, a Mid-American Vicinity was formed from either section of the American Vicinity. After Nigeria became a Republic around 1963, Nnamdi Azikiwe was manufactured the President of the Federal Republic. Nevertheless, inside 1964, the great tilt broke out, all over a 1963 humans nosecount, by having a NCNC claiming that there was an overestimatation of a total of people in the Northern Region, so generating the northward a greater representation in the federal parliament.

Inside 1966, ii sequential coups by different groups of army officers brought a united states under military rule. Within January of that season, the total of junior army officers staged the coup d'etat to overthrow the food & drug administration, in the run killing Balewa, Bello, Akintola and occasionally senior officers. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was put in charge of a stratocracy which was to exist as the 1st of numerous. Despite the fact that this coup was staggeringly violent, the freshly government did promise a progressive agenda - a link to to civilian rule determined bye election & vowed to kill corruption & prevent violence, & this particularly appealed to the youth. What is more, Aguiyi-Ironsi tried to restore discipline in a army. He suspended a regional constitution using its different regions, dissolved whole legislative bodies, banned political parties, captive Awolowo, & formed a Federal Military Government by using the aim of centralizing governance. a order was issued, that March, to abolish a federation, & unify the federal & regional civil servants. Numerous accused Aguiyi-Ironsi of favouring a Igbos on top more ethnic groups & a fact that a stratocracy did non prosecute a officers that flushed a northern leaders affected farther rage. Though Aguiyi-Ironsi experienced occasionally concessions such as protecting a northerners from either southern competition in a civil service, numbers of northerners felt rather the coup was a plot to produce the Igbo's dominant within Nigeria. Combat broke out awhile between a northerners & a Igbo, & within July of the equivalent month, northern officers staged an additional coup, killing Aguiyi-Ironsi & numerous more Igbo officials. A Muslim officers chose Yakubu "Jack" Gowon (who was a Christian) as the new ruler. Gowon experienced non actually been taking part in a coup, however it felt he would exist as the flexible candidate to head the Federal Military Government. His 1st steps involved restoring Federalism, & releasing Awolowo from either prison.

Gowon vowed to begin Nigeria along a road to civilian government. But, today a Igbos were becoming other & more afraid of their position within Nigeria. Around 1967, whilst Gowon moved to split a Quaternion existent regions into Twelve states, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, a leader of the Eastern Area refused to assume this, & declared that the Eastern Region would get its have independent republic, known as Biafra. This was non accepted, & within June 1967, a civil war broke out between Biafra & the remainder of Nigeria.

Charted a creation of Biafra, war broke out between a Federal Government & a Igbo dominated eastern area. Under Brigadiers Adekunle, Obasanjo & Murtala Mohammed, a orderly battle project that comprised soppy air bombings & starvation forced the Biafran rebels to capitulate. In 15th January 1970, left by having a guide of surrender & a sum destruction of a Biafran public, Philip Effiong, Chief of Staff of the rebel army accepted the terms of surrender prior to Yakubu Gowon, Head of the Northern dominated federal government.

Withinside 1974, Gowon broke his promise to go to a united states to civilian rule, & in July of 1975, there was eventually an additional military coup, a 1st of numerous bloodless coups. This brought a enormously popular Murtala Ramat Mohammed to power. When his predecessors got done, Murtala Mohammed promised to lead Nigeria back into civilian rule. Within February of 1976, there was an attempted coup by Buka Dimka, & though it was stillborn, Muhammed was flushed. Thus, Olusegun Obasanjo wwhen chosen to choose his place as a recently ruler, & promised to prove my point what Muhammed experienced began. When you took his term, he raised University fees, & this led to student riots (which use at times besides turn into quite most common it seems). The food & drug administration so prohibited student organizations, restricted public opposition to the regime, restricted union activity, nationalized land, and increased oil industry regulation. Notwithstanding, around 1978, Obasanjo did install a recently constitution, 1 that would go to the united states to the lot hoped-for state of civilian rule. Elections were eventually held around 1979, bringing Shehu Shagari into office when a recently President of Nigeria.

When Shagari was take a breath to service his stallion term & was, in point of fact a victor of a 1983 elections, numbers of population believed a elections were rigged & the rightful leader was Obafemi Awolowo. This placed a stage for however a second coup, this period in December 31, 1983. A fresh stratocracy, under Muhammadu Buhari was welcomed at a instance, because numerous felt that a united states experienced farther deteriorated into other wild corruption & economic misdirection, under a purportedly democratically elective government of Shehu Shagari. Buhari placed bent try to revive a economy, & this took priority above all about else, including giving a united states to civilian rule. He as well took security of the government as a high priority, restricted freedom of the click, suppressed criticism of the government, & outlaw numbers of organizations. Furthermore, he declared the "War Against Indiscipline" to treat by having such aspects when public behavior, sanitation, public appearance, corruption, smuggling, & nationalism. He besides took numerous more measures of nonindulgence that manufactured it hard for the bit of corporations to redo, & this yet led to high inflation & so a tremendously higher numbers of dwelling.

However an additional bloodless coup took place in August 27, 1985. This period Ibrahim Babangida (Buhari's chief of army staff prior to a coup) was known as a ruler. Babangida claimed that Buhari's regime was insensitive to the feelings of the Nigerian people, especially by having regards to the restrictions imposed on the click. He began his rule claiming to exist as the human being rights militant, however this image faded by having period. Though he freed the few of the politicians that Buhari incarcerated, he likewise hounded opposition interest, & detained several radical humans for various offenses, & possibly experienced a rescript to help a bit of oppressive acts. When concerns his economic policy, Babangidthe introduced market reforms, freeing exchange & rate of interest, & this led to a acutely drop by the value of the Nigerian currency, when raising loaning rates to supplementary than Xl percent.

Inside April of 1986, there was an additional attempted coup by Mamman Vatsa, & him & his followers were executed. In April 22, 1990, there was however an additional attempted coup by Gideon Orkar that failed, however nearly flushed Babangida, whose bedchamber experienced been bombed. Unlike former coups & attempted coups, this coup was believed to stand been heavy funded by civilians, suggesting that it were unforced to keep around an additional military ruler all over Babangida.

When by a the fresh constitution that was drafted around 1990, the united states was to link to to civilian rule out 1992. When a date approached, there were several suspicions that this promise was non attend become saved. Pressure began mounting on the stratocracy, & eventually, inside 1992, an election took place. Nonetheless, the Babangida government annulled a resolutions of that election, claiming fraud, & postponed a re-begin of the elections for a year. A second electiin was held inside June of 1993, & on June 12 of 1993, a winner was declared to become Moshood Abiola. Babangida over again claimed fraud, & annulled a final result of this election, which was believed to exist as a number one fair election held in the history of Nigeria. This led to groovy unrest, 100% on top Nigeria. Hundreds of demonstrators were flushed, homo rights & pro-democracy militant were arrested, & opposition newspapers were close. a pressure mounted anyway, & eventually in August 27, 1993, Babangida resigned, & appointed Ernest Shonekan, a civilian, in situ when the head of an interim civilian government.

Shonekan's rule was a shortest rule out Nigerian history, lasting less than Trey months. The food & drug administration was declared illegal & unconstitutional by the Supreme court, and General Sani Abacha took power on November 17, 1993. Abacha is believed to own been instrumental around each a 1983 & a 1985 coups, & was Babangida's defense minister. Abacha, a virtually all ill-famed of a notorious Nigerian rulers brought very much publicity to Nigeria from either the international community. At the start, Abacha promised to go to the food and drug administration to civilian rule inside deuce years. Meanwhile, he dismantled altogether elective institutions, terminated tons subject & state assemblies, closed independent publications, prohibited whole political activity, & suspended a constitution. In June 12, 1994, Abiola, backed by politicians, out army brass, & pro-democracy militant, proclaimed himself when a president. He was imprisoned inside charges of treason, & around 1996, he was laid in solitary. As a result Abiola's, his married woman, Kudirat Abiolthe, launched a campaign for democracy & human being rights. She held pro-democracy rallies, defied a military edict banning political associations, conferred hikers of military repression to international fact-selecting missions, inspired several more population, especially women, & won a "Woman of the Year" awards within two 1994 & 1995. Nonetheless, in June Four, 1996, she was assassinated, & quite naturally, a assasination was attributed to the stratocracy of Sani Abacha.

In March One, 1995 there was an additional attempted coup by Lawan Gwadabe. when well suspected as section of this coup were Olusegun Obasanjo (the former president) & Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. It were sentenced to Twenty-five years of imprisonment for this. Yar'Adua died spell around prison, & Obasanjo was there for the remainder of Abacha's life. Besides in remission quondam when you took 1995 was Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, the person rights militant world health organization got been repeatedly arrested & freed, however this period was charged sustaining treason, & sentenced to life imprisonment, which was late reduced to Xv years, possibly against High Court opinion, & Amnesty International. He was as well inside clink for the remainder of Abacha's life.

As well around 1995, was a elephantine disputation that brought a Ogoni population into a spotlight. Ken Saro-Wiwa, an conservationist & dramatist, experienced been critical of the Nigerian government for the environmental restitution existence inflicted on the land inhabited per Ogoni humans, due to the refining industry. Saro-Wiwa & eight more leaders were arrested in charges of conspiring to slay political opponents. In October 31, 1995, entirely nine leaders were sentenced to dying, by hanging. Opposition for this phrase & an appeal for mercy come from either a lot above a world, including the Commonwealth, & Nelson Mandela. Notwithstanding, in November 10, it were hung anyway. This stunned a world, & led to the suspension of Nigeria from either the Commonwealth, & Nelson Mandela calling for international sanctions against Nigerian oil, which account for additional than Ninety percent of Nigeria's foreign currency earnings.

Without doubt, this pawithin the already bleeding economy & Abacha tried to improve his image by portraying Nigeria as a regional peacemaker, & in 1996, possibly aided a peace agreement that ended Liberia's Vii-month civil war & manufactured way for elections within Liberia. Likewise, while a military coup took place around Sierrthe Leone, Abacha stepped inside, & sent his army in a military assault to restore the democratically elective government. This did inspire the few total of confidence from either a public world health organization were becoming more and more caring that he would link to Nigeria to a popular rule when he experienced promised.

In December 21, 1997, there was allegedly a second attempted coup on the Abacha government by Oladipo Diya, & he was imprisoned. Numerous guess that a incident was fabricated per Abacha government to justify a subsequent persecution of Diya. Inside April of 1998, Diythe, Tetrad more officers, & a civilian were sentenced to demise, when numbers of others were sentenced to time of variable lengths.

Elections to link to to civilian rule were placed for August One of 1998, by using the go to date to civilian rule placed for October One, 1998. But, around April, Abacha became a lone nominative candidate for the presidency. Opposition to his rule got been mounting supplementary & further around recent months, because it was suspected that he did non intend to step down. Demonstrations & riots broke out, & numbers of were flushed.

Abacha's reign of terror come to an prevent after he died unexpectedly in June 8th 1998, of the heart attack. Abdulsalami Abubakar became leader of the Provisional Ruling Council. He lifted a suspension of the 1979 constitution, & was placed to release Chief M.K.O. Abiola the winner of the 1993 Election before the latter died in July 1998 from what international medical experts initially described as natural causes; later this was changed to death from poisonous substance. Court subjects since Abiola's demise keep around brought to weak that his tea was poisoned.

Within 1999, Nigeria elected Olusegun Obasanjo as President inside its number one elections in Sixteen years. Obasanjo & his person besides won a turbulent elections of 2003. Although by owning won a election, Obasanjo has got a love-hate relationship with the Nigerian humans. By using a killing of Justice Bola Ige, an advocate for peace, justice & openness, numerous doubt a profits of Nigeria's popular dream; particularly, by having a ever intimidating 2007 election in a area of the corner.

By using a majority of Nigerian's believing that the Obansanjo regime is a virtually all corrupt in a history of Nigeria, the majority of Nigeria agents come allowing the united states inducing a massive brain drain on the economy. a corruptiin of a Nigerian political class is exemplified per arrest & test of the Inspector General of Police force & the recent arrest of a governor of one of the southern states in the United Kingdom on money laundering charges.

Although non easily known outside of the little class action, the Nigerian association football team won a gold palm in the 1968 Olympics. A Nigerian president confiscated a teams' medallion shortly subsequently due to perennial incidents involving a team captain & a referee all about the legality of his notorious banana kick.

Politics
Independent article: Politics of Nigeria

Nigeria occurs as Federal Republic, comprising 36 states plus a Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.

States
Nigeria is divided into 36 states and 1 territory.

For each one state has the unicameral House of Assembly and an elected Governor, who appoints an Executive Council.

Abia Adamawa Akwa Ibom Anambra Bauchi Bayelsa Benue Borno Cross River Delta

Ebonyi Edo Ekiti Enugu Gombe Imo Jigawa Kaduna Kano

Katsina Kebbi Kogi Kwara Lagos Nassarawa Niger Ogun Ondo

Osun Oyo Plateau Rivers Sokoto Taraba Yobe Zamfara Abuja Federal Capital Territory

Geography
Independent article: Geography of Nigeria

Nigeria is placed on the Gulf of Guinea. Its major cities come located in southern lowlands. A central a share of the united states contains hills & tableland. A northerly consists of arid plains that border a Sahara. Its neighboring countries come Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Outdoors & timberland occurs principally in a southern third of the united states, which is affected by seasonal rains from either the Atlantic which occur from June to September. When of these progresses northbound a united states becomes drier & a vegetation supplementary savanna in type. A northern third of the united states forms section of the semi-arid sahel region on the fringes of the Sahara desert.

Nigeria is divided about within ternion per streams, lakes, & wells throughout Niger and Benue, which flow through a united states from either n-east & northward-west to meet about in the centre of the country touching the fresh capital city of Abuja. From either on text a united lakes flow in a south to the sea at the Niger Delta. Its greatest point is Chappal Waddi (2,419 m), on the Cameroonian border.

Economy
Independent article: Economy of Nigeria

A oil-rich Nigerian economy, yearn hobbled by political instability, corruption, and unfortunate macroeconomic management, is undergoing real economic reform under a newly civilian administration. Nigeria's rulers stole or even lost £220 billion. Nigeria's previous military rulers failed to diversify a economy out of overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which will bring 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, & just about 65% of budgetary revenues. the largely subsistence farming sector has non saved higher using rapid people incubation, & Nigerithe, it used to be that a big nett exporter of food, has since 1974, been a nett importer of basic foodstuffs.

Mineral resources include petroleum, coal and tin. Farming products include groundnuts, palm oil, cocoa, citrus Fruits, maize, millet, cassava, yams and sugar cane.

Demographics
Independent article: Demographics of Nigeria

A virtually all thickly settled united states within Africa, Nigeria accounts for approximately of these-quarter of Africa's people. Although fewer than 25% of Nigerians come urban habitant, at least Twenty-four cities use populations of to a higher degree 100,000 & 45-60% of the people come potential to reside around or even around metropolitan areas per month 2015.

A kind of customs, languages, & traditions among Nigeria's calculated 250 ethnic groups gives the united states a rich ethnic diversity. A dominant ethnic class action in a northern a portion come the Hausa-Fulani, the overwhelming majority of whom come Muslim. More major ethnic groups of a n come the Nupe, Tiv, and Kanuri.

A Yoruba humans come predominant to the south. Across half of the Yorubas are Christian and about the quarter come Muslim, with a remainder as punishment mostly traditional beliefs. A Ibo, Efik, Ibibio/Annang, and Ijaw (the united states's for-largest ethnic class action) communities likewise comprise the real section of the people in this front yard.

Souls of different language backgrounds virtually all normally communicate inside English, although noesis of ii or further Nigerian languages wrecks havoc. Hausa, Yoruba, & Igbo come a virtually all widely utilized Nigerian languages.

Inside recent years against the background of national economic & political uncertainty, there has been the radicalization of politics particularly in the northern a portion of the united states. Many northern states use instituted area of traditional Islamic Sharia law including enforcing the nonindulgent separation of the sexes & handing out mediaeval penalization for crimes like thieving & criminal conversation.

Education

Colleges: See List of Nigerian universities

Public Health Issues

Polio

1 issue which has been complicated by political chaos has been a effort of the World Health Organization to eradicate polio worldwide. Northern Nigeria was a location of half of tons documented infantile paralysis suits around 2003, however Muslim divine use repeatedly inveighed against a vaccine as an effort by Westerners to sterilize young Nigerian Muslim girls. A national vaccination program was suspended withinside many states around August of 2003, & a disease about quintupled inside frequency (119 subjects in number 1 quarter 2004, vs. Xxiv inside 2003). By Can of 2004, poliomyelitis was reported to use at times spread from either there to many more African nations which got antecedently been declared polio-yours free!. around Can 18, a state of Kano agreed to resume vaccination computer program applying vaccinum produced in Indonesia, not a US. [http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1084907670277]

Obstetric Fistula

From either the [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/international/africa/28africa.html?ex=1128571200&en=df607b333e505fd6&ei=5070&emc=eta1 September 28, 2005, New York Times article]: This is obstetric fistula, a super painful, truncation affliction. Postponed marriage, birth prevention & caesarian section have all but eliminated this ill health in the developed globe. Besides from either that article: the United Nations has a campaign to handle & halt fistulas. Understand [http://www.endfistula.org endfistula.org].

Culture
Independent article: Culture of Nigeria

Music of Nigeria List of writers from Nigeria Islam in Nigeria