Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria

Data code: NI

Government type: republic.

Capital: Abuja
note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja

Administrative divisions: 36 states and 1 territory*; Federal Captial Territory (Abuja)*, 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

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Constitution: NA 1999 new constitution adopted

Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Olusegun Obasanjo (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 2003
election results:

• Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP): 61.9% - elected.
• Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP): 32.2%
• Emeka Ojukwu (APGA): 3.3%
• Other candidates (17): 2.6%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats, three from each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:

• Senate - last held 2003
  • People’s Democratic Party (PDP): 53.7%; 73 seats
  • All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP): 27.9%; 28 seats
  • Alliance for Democracy (AD): 9.7%; 6 seats
  • APGA : 1.5%; 0 seats
  • Other parties: 7.2%; 0 seats
  • Vacant: 2 seats
• House of Representatives - last held 2003
  • PDP: 54.5%; 213 seats
  • ANPP: 27.4%; 95 seats
  • AD: 9.3%; 31 seats
  • APGA: 1.4%; 2 seats
  • Other parties: 7.4%; 5 seats
  • Vacant: 14 seats

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Provisional Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee

Political parties and leaders: All Nigeria People’s Party or ANPP Alhaji Yusuf Ali ; Alliance for Democracy or AD Yusuf Mamman ; People’s Democratic Party or PDP Barnabas Gemade

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15 , G-19 , G-24 , G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT , UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

See also: Nigeria, List of Presidents of Nigeria