In this article, we’re going to focus on some fun facts about Nigeria. Let’s go straight to the point.
Before calling Nigeria the “African Giants”, some facts were examined. Regrettably, many Nigerians do not know certain facts about the country.
In this regard, it will be very important that you know some interesting facts concerning your country.
Are you one of those people who do not know some interesting facts about Nigeria? If you are one of them, then this is an opportunity for you to expand your knowledge about your county.
Amazing Facts About Nigeria
Right now, we’re going to look at some interesting aspects of this great country on the continent of Africa.
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The Name Nigeria
Historically, the name “Nigeria” originated from the beautiful Niger River, which flows through the country.
Some have claimed that the name Nigeria was revealed when an English journalist named Flora Shaw published an article entitled “Nigeria”.
In case you don’t know this event happened in 1897. This means that Nigeria has an extensive history in Africa.
As it stands, the full name is the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Location
Nigeria boasts a prime location, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It has welcomed many international visitors.
This prestigious country is likewise located on the west coast of Africa, bounded by Chad and Cameroon to the east and the north it’s bounded by Niger then finally bounded with the Benin Republic to the west.
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Population
Just in case you don’t know, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh-largest in the world.
According to the 2009 census, Nigeria has a population of more than 200 million.
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Ethnic Groups
You will be amazed to learn that Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups. Plus over 500 spoken languages.
Among the figures we have just mentioned, there are three major ethnic groups which include the Igbo, the Yoruba, and the Hausa. Other groups include Fulani, Kanuri, Ijaw, Efik, Ebra, Itsekiri, Nupe, and many others.
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Natural Gas
Nigeria ranks between the 12th largest producer of natural gas and the 8th largest exporter of crude oil worldwide.
Natural gas is currently the nation’s primary source of revenue. In a day, Nigeria extracts around 2.5 million barrels of crude oil.
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Independence
Let us help those who ignore this simple fact when it comes to Nigeria. Nigerian independence was achieved on October 1, 1960. It was after the British colonial period of the 19th century.
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Sports
Let us surprise those who do not pride themselves on the sport in Nigeria. All over Africa, Nigeria was the first country to receive a gold medal for football.
Super eagles also won the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) three times. That was in the year 1996. Nigeria’s basketball team was the first in Africa to qualify for the Olympics in 2012.
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Nollywood
For those of you, who are not aware of the popularity of Nollywood, know today that this film industry is the second largest in the world.
Nollywood annually makes more than a thousand movies. Even Hollywood and Bollywood do not make such massive production in a season.
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Nigerians in the US
A report shows that Nigerians living in the U.S. are the most educated among other migrants in the U.S. Sixty percent of these Nigerians have college certificates.
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Religion
Nigeria has two well-known religions: Christianity and Islam. The Christian population in Nigeria is around 40 percent, while Muslims are the other 60 percent.
There are other religions like traditional worshippers and so forth. But the ones we have just mentioned are the ones that are well practiced in Nigeria.
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Proud Citizens
The richest man in Africa by the name of Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian, from the northern region. Meanwhile, the richest woman in the world is a Nigerian called Folorunso Alakija.
This is not the end; it was a Nigerian who designed the world’s fastest computer as Philip Emeagwali. Nigeria also has a talented automotive designer with the famed Chevrolet Volt company.
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Landscape
Nigeria’s beautiful scenery is beyond measurement. Nevertheless, we will look at them and see to what extent Nigeria is blessed.
Nigeria has one of the famous landmarks in Nigeria, that’s the Zuma rock. The rock culminates at 725 meters above the ground. It is located on the northern side of Abuja, the capital of the country.
Sometimes people refer to the rock as the ‘gateway’.
Next is the Osun Sacred Grove Forest. It is believed to be the home of the fertility goddess, and the myth of the Yoruba people is that it is the last of its kind in Nigeria.
There is another breathtaking landscape in Adamawa called the “Sukur Cultural Landscape”. In the whole of Africa, this is the first cultural landscape to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
When you go to the Madara mountain near Cameroon, you can have a view of this beautiful scenery.
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Zoology
Nigeria is one of the countries with the greatest population of animals and plant species in the world. There are more than 4,715 plant species and more than 550 different mammalian and bird species. It means that Nigeria is teeming with wildlife.
In addition, Nigeria has the second-largest delta in the world, the famous Niger Delta. It is said to have welcomed the largest number of monotypic fish worldwide.
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Lagos
Nigeria owns the fifth-largest state with the largest economy in Africa. This is the well-known state of Lagos we’re talking about.
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Abuja
Abuja is the current capital of the country. Thanks to its developers, this capital has grown into one of the most beautiful cities in Africa.
Conclusion
There are thus many interesting facts about Nigeria that if all were to be outlined you’ll be amazed at how blessed the country has been right from history to the present time.
With the little bit we talked about earlier, you should be proud to be a citizen of this country.
As for these tourist sites, you can go for a tour and feed your eye with beautiful images.