This National profile is expected to give incoming Exchangees a brief knowledge of what he/she should learn about Nigeria before arrival. This may not give you the whole information required about Nigeria but the links provided below can be used for further reading to enable adequate preparation before arrival.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a Federal Constitutional Republic comprising thirty six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The Country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean in the South. The capital city is Abuja. The three largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

The people of Nigeria have an extensive history and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eight most populous country in the world and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black. It is listed among the “Next Eleven” economies and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world with the IMF projecting a growth of 8.3% in 2009. Nigeria is the second largest economy in Africa and is a regional power that has predominant influence over others in West Africa.

Nigeria is famous for its English language literature and its popular music. Since the 1990s the Nigerian movie industry sometimes called “Nollywood” has emerged as a fast-growing cultural force all over the continent. All over the country, and even increasingly in the conservative north, western music, dresses and movies are ever popular.

Soccer (often referred to as "football") is extremely popular throughout the country and especially among the youth, both field soccer and professional international soccer, has developed into a cult of unity and division. Supporters of Manchester United, Arsenal football club, Liverpool and Chelsea often segregate beyond the traditional tribal and even religious divide to share their common cause in English Premier League teams. The Nigerian national football team nicknamed the Super Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). According to the FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria ranks 22nd and holds the third highest place among the African nations behind Cameroon (11th) and Côte d'Ivoire (16th). The highest position ever reached on the ranking was 5th in April 1994.

Nigerian food embellishes a rich blend of traditionally African carbohydrates such as Yam and Cassava as well as vegetable soups made from native green leaves. Praised by Nigerians for the strength it gives, Garri is a powdered Cassava Grain that can be readily eaten as a meal and is quite cheap. Yam is either fried in oil or pounded to make a Mashed Potato like Yam pottage. Nigerian beans, quite different from green peas, is widely popular. Meat is also popular and Nigerian Suya, a barbecue like method of roasting meat, is a well known delicacy. Bush meat, meat from wild game like Dear and Giraffes and is also popular. Fermented palm products is used to make traditional liquor, Palm Wine, as is fermented Cassava.

The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Traditional musicians use a number of diverse instruments such as the Gongon drums. Other traditional cultural expressions are found in the various masquerades of Nigeria, such as the Eyo masquerades, the Ekpe and Ekpo Masquerades of the Efik/Ibibio/Annang/Igbo peoples of coastal south-eastern Nigeria.

Nigeria related links and resources
* http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/nigeria.html

* http://www.higherpower.org/encyclopedia/Yoruba/

* Currency - the currency of Nigeria is the Naira (NGN). Use the free currency converter to compare to dollars, GBP, etc.

* Weather - visit Yahoo!'s up to date Weather for Nigeria.

* Dialling Code - the international dialling code for Nigeria is +234.

* Time - Nigeria is +1 GMT.