Everything you Need to Know About Nigeria
Ptinphusmia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Okigwe is the third largest city in Imo State
Nigeria is a country that is located on the west coast of Africa. Nigeria can be found next to the Gulf of Guinea and countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja, but until 1991 Lagos was the original capital. Amongst the 206 million people living in Nigeria you will find that the country is extremely diverse. Nigeria is the 32nd largest country, and is 356,669 sq mi. Nigeria is also known for being the most populated and richest country in Africa, and is know as the “Giant of Africa.”
In 1960 Nigeria was able to gain independence from Britain and three years later they were able to completely cut ties and become a republic. In 1966 Nigeria was able to form their own federal military. In 1971 Nigeria joins the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and is ranked as the 11th largest oil producer in the world. In 1992 the Babangida established both the Social Democratic Party and the National Republic Convention in order to restore civilian rule. In 2000 Sharia law, an Islamic legal system, caused many religious riots to occur in Kaduna.
The culture in Nigeria is extremely diverse as it contains a variety of languages and several ethnic groups. Although there are about 527 different languages spoken, the official language is English, but in rural areas English is not common. The next most common languages that are spoken include Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fula. Adamawa is known for having 58 different dialects spoken within the state. There are six major ethnic groups found in Nigeria
which includes Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik – Ibibio and Edo, but there is a total of 250 ethnic groups.
Nigeria has many traditions and festivals that are celebrated around the country. A major festival that takes place is the Eyo festival. The Eyo festival takes places in Lagos and is a way of honoring the chief ruling family. One tradition that can be found in Nigeria is the Pre-Marital Introduction Ceremony, during this ceremony the fiancé meets with the brides family to accept and celebrate the proposal. A weekly tradition that takes place is Sunday Rice, which is a dish that is served after church services and is shared with family, neighbors, and friends.
Nigerian politics started when they were able to break away from Britain’s control. Its National Assembly is composed of a Senate and House of Representatives, and has three levels of government the national level, state, and local. Since 2015 the president of Nigeria is Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari.
Journalists in Nigeria are not limited on what they can say in media, and newspapers are very popular. Many journalists are very outspoken and often share their opinions. There are many different sources for media in Nigeria some major ones includes: The Guardian and The Punch. The Guardian is a popular newspaper that is based in Lagos. The Punch is a newspaper that covers any breaking news in Nigeria. On the other hand, radio and television broadcast is not as popular due to a lack of resources, some popular ones are: BBC World Service and Shortwave Radio. BBC World Service is a radio broadcast that shares Nigerian news and international News. Shortwave Radios are used in Nigeria to spread information among users.
Nigeria is a very interesting country because it has such a unique culture and is extremely diverse. Its history makes it country that is worth researching and leaning about. It is important to learn about Nigerian culture, so you can understand what makes Nigeria, Nigeria.
