The National flag

The National flag is divided into three equal parts. The central part is white, symbolizing peace and unity, and the two outer parts which are green, symbolize the nation's vast agricultural wealth.

Geography - The Federal Republic of Nigeria is situated in West Africa, between longitudes 3° and 14° and latitudes 4° and 14°, with a land mass of 923,768 sq km. Nigeria is bordered on the North by the Republics of Chad and Niger; the East by Cameroun; the West by the Republic of Benin; and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria’s coastline runs for approximately 800km.

Climate - The two predominant seasons in Nigeria are the rainy or wet season that lasts from April to October and the dry or hot season that lasts from November till March. The dry season commences in November with the chilly, dusty and hazy harmattan North-Easterly winds blowing across the Sahara from the Arabian desert, that can sometimes last till February.

Vegetation - The Nigerian vegetation coincides with the rainfall distribution in the country, from tropical evergreen (high rainfall) in the south to sahel savannah (low rainfall) in the North.

Population - Nigeria’s population is estimated at 140 million.

Capital - Abuja is the capital of Nigeria.

Official Language - The official working language is English.

Indigenous Languages - There are more than 200 Nigerian languages, however, the three principal indigenous languages are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Religions - Nigeria is a secular state, whose citizens are Christian, Moslem or Traditionalists.

Main Industrial/Commercial Cities - Aba, Benin, Ibadan, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Maiduguri, Nnewi, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Warri.

Main Airports - Abuja, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Sokoto and Yola.

Currency - Naira (N) one Naira = 100 kobo

Resources - Nigeria is endowed with agricultural, mineral, marine and forest natural resources. Oil, and more recently gas, are however, the predominant foreign exchange earners for the country. Exploitation of these minerals is both on and off shore. Other mineral resources being commercially exploited include barite, bitumen, coal, columbite, gold, gypsum, iron ore, kaolin, limestone, marble, and phosphates.

Agriculture - Nigeria’s landmass of 98.3 hectares, has 72 million cultivable hectares. An estimated 34 million hectares, approximately 47% of arable land, is currently being cultivated. 70% of Nigeria’s population is agrarian, farming primarily for domestic consumption. Crop production in Nigeria is divided into food and cash crops. Staple food crops produced in different parts of the country are cereals, tubers and fruits, while principal cash crops include cocoa, rubber, oil palm and groundnuts. It is expected that government’s increased focus on agriculture in Nigeria, along with more intensive irrigation, structured land usage, better micro-credit facilities and agricultural extension services, will result in increased food production.

Economy - Nigeria, as the largest mixed economy in West Africa, offers varied and attractive investment opportunities for domestic or foreign investors. The government’s continuing efforts to promote private sector initiatives through the provision of a conducive enabling environment remains on target. It is envisaged that this will lead to a market-oriented private-sector led, broad-based, highly competitive, technology-driven, and growth disposed economy.

Current Reform Agenda - President Obasanjo’s second term in office, has provided the opportunity for consolidation of the reform programmes, instituted during his 1999 - 2003 first term, to restructure the Nigerian economy. The reforms are embedded in the new National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). The administration of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is poised to buid upon the reform programme, having stressed the central place of the economy to his overall policy direction.