so I don't know what Nigeria's gdp is officially (don't know what to trust) but I looked on CIA Factbook and here it is:

GDP: $165.4 billion   (2009)
GDP (PPP): $353.2 billion (2009)[/color]
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html

South Africa's:
GDP: $277.4 billion (2009)
GDP (PPP): $488.6 billion (2009)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

And it's predicted Nigeria will surpass SA by 2012, but I ask, is this in PPP? How will it be possible?  Trust me I know Nigeria will leap ahead at some point, but 2012 is 2 years down the road. Double digit growth would possibly have to occur then. The economy is expected to expand past 7% (if I'm right) this year, and SA's at around a mear 3%. Do you think Nigeria will achieve its 2020 vision of GDP no lower than $900 billion? And another thing, isn't Egypt's GDP is
$470.4 billion (PPP) and $277.4 billion at exchange, so this places it above Nigeria. When will Egypt be surpassed? 
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

Negative nancys stay away from this thread!I know Nigeria having a higher GDP doesn't translate to better living conditions, I'm just looking at this from a purely economical (and sorta political considering leaders play a huge role in development) viewpoint.

Yeah it is very possible if the political crises currently ravaging Nigeria is ended soonest.

If you look at the graphs below, you'd find the sharp upward growth path of the Nigeria GDP compared to that of South Africa which is more of a steady growth.

Over the last eight years, SA's GDP size has barely doubled from $133 billion in 2000 to $277 Billion 2008. Nigeria on the order hand had its GDP size quintuple from $46 Billion in 2000 to $212 Billion in 2008.

Based on these growth projectiles, Nigeria can surely surpass SA in 2012 if the political crisis is resolved quickly. and even quicker if the current CBN Governor Sanusi is kicked out!

If only Nigeria can solve it's power generation problem I am quite certain that the multiplier benefits drivable from stable power supply is enough to propel Nigeria's GDP ahead of SA. That apart if we can stop importing fuel and are able to meet all our needs from domestic refineries we would be well on our way to being a G20 nation. Nigeria has a lot of potentials we are just cursed with too many morrons leading us.

Dream on fellas.