1. Africa’s Most Populated Country
Here are some remarkable and interesting facts
about Nigeria that all Nigerian students should know.
With a population of over 160 million people, Nigeria
is Africa’s most populated country, as well as the 8th
most populated in the entire world. This means that
for every seven Africans, one is a Nigerian. Ethiopia is
the next African nation to come close, whose
population count of 84 million is merely about half
that of Nigeria.
2. Over 250 Ethnic Groups
One interesting fact about Nigeria is her multi-
ethnicity. Nigeria boasts of over 250 ethnic groups
and tribes. However, three tribes are the most
dominant, namely, the Igbo that makes up 18% of the
population, the Yoruba that makes up 21% and the
Hausa-Fulani the largest one with 29%.
3. Main Religions are Islam and Christianity
In Nigeria, the main religions are Christianity and
Islam. The country is divided roughly into two
religious organisations, with the south having almost
exclusively Christians, and the north having Muslims.
The Igbo’s found in the southeast are mainly
Christians, while the Hausa-Fulani inhabiting northern
Nigeria are mainly Islams. In addition, southern
Nigeria is more urbanized and westernized when
compared to the north.
4. Derived Name from West Africa’s Longest
River
Nigeria derives her name from river Niger, which is
the largest and longest river in West Africa. The river
covers a distance of about 2,600 miles (4,180 km)
from its source in the Highlands of Guinea, inside
south-eastern Guinea. It follows its course in a
crescent through Niger, Mali, along the border with
Benin, then getting into Nigeria. The river eventually
empties its water into the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf
of Guinea after passing through a huge delta referred
to as the Niger Delta.
5. One of Human Existence’s Oldest Locations
According to evidence from archaeological sites and
discoveries, Nigeria has a history of human existence
that has been dated back as far as 9000 BC. The Nok
civilization is the earliest civilization in the country,
which took place around 500 BC up to 200 AD.
6. Home of Nollywood – Nigeria’s Movie Industry
Nollywood is a term used to refer to the Nigerian
movie industry. Recently, it has been ranked as the
second largest movie industry in the world, coming
second only to the Indian film industry called
Bollywood, and ahead of America’s Hollywood. Every
single week, about 200 Nollywood movies are
produced, and since 2005, they have won half of the
yearly African awards for best picture.
7. Largest Butterfly Diversity
Nigeria boasts as being the most appropriate habitat
of the largest diversity in the world of butterflies, the
most colourful creatures. The areas that surround
Calabar, Cross River State, located in the country’s
southern region, are widely believed to harbor the
largest diversity of butterflies in the world.
8. Number of Universities in Ogun State
Ogun State is one of the states located in the
western part of Nigeria. It has a total of nine
registered universities, making it the state with the
highest number of such institutions of higher learning
in the country.
9. Africa’s Longest Bridge
Measuring about 11.8 kilometers, the Third Mainland
Bridge in Lagos State is Africa’s longest bridge, and it
connects Lagos Island with the mainland. It begins
from Oworonshoki that is linked to the Lagos-Ibadan
express way and the Apapa-Oshodi express way,
ending at the Adeniji Adele interchange found in
Lagos Island. Midway across the bridge, there is also
a link leading to the Herbert Macaulay Way at Yaba.
This bridge was constructed by Julius Berger Nigeria
PLC, and officially opened in 1990 by the then
President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
10. One of the Largest Producers Of Crude Oil
This seems to be one of the most recognized Nigerian
fact. Nigeria is the world’s 12th largest crude oil
producer and also the 8th largest exporter, producing
on average 2,525,000 barrels daily. The country also
has the 10th largest proven petroleum reserves
worldwide. Oil plays a vital role in the nation’s
economy, contributing to over 85% of the entire
government revenue. This seems to be one of the
most widely recognized Nigerian fact.
11. Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of the
total languages spoken on earth.
Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of the total
languages spoken on earth. Taraba state alone has
more languages than 30 African countries. The
importance of this fact is appreciated when one
understands that language is the “soul of culture” (as
Ngugi wa Thiongo famously said). It is language that
births the proverbs, riddles, stories and other aspects
of culture that give us identity. UNESCO puts forward
that the world’s languages represents an
extraordinary wealth of creativity. Linguistic diversity
correlates with cultural diversity. This means Nigeria
can look inwards and drive itself to become the
greatest hub for cultural tourism on earth, and
consequently empower its citizens tremendously in
the process.
12. The Walls of Benin (800-1400AD)
The Walls of Benin (800-1400AD), in present day Edo
State, are the longest ancient earthworks in the
world, and probably the largest man-made structure
on earth. They enclose 6500 square kilometers of
community lands that connected about 500
communities. At over 16000km long, it was thought
to be twice the length of the Great Wall of China,
until it was announced in 2012 (after five years of
meticulous measurement by Chinese surveyors) that
the Great Wall is about 21,000km long.
13. The Yoruba tribe has the highest rate of twin
births in the world.
Igbo-Ora, a little town in Oyo state, has been
nicknamed Twin capital of the World because of its
unusually high rate of twins that is put as high as 158
twins per 1000 births. In a video I watched last year
on YouTube presented by Titi (a white lady who
speaks Yoruba), and which was centred on twin
births in Igbo-Ora, one of the locals boasted that
every family in the town has at least one twin!
14. Sarki Muhammad Kanta The Great of Kebbi
Sarki Muhammad Kanta The Great of Kebbi, was the
only ruler who resisted control by Songhai, West
Africa’s greatest empire at that time. He founded and
ruled the Hausa city-state of Kebbi around 1600 A.D
and built Surame its capital, a planned city which was
almost impossible to penetrate during war. In fact
UNESCO describes Surame as “one of the wonders of
human history, creativity and ingenuity”, and probably
the most massive stone-walled constructions in West
Africa. He is listed in Robin Walker’s 50 Greatest
Africans.
15. Nigeria holds Africa’s oldest known boat
The Dufuna canoe which was discovered in Dufuna
village, Yobe state, by a Fulani Herdsman in May
1987, while he dug a well. Various radio-carbon tests
conducted in laboratories of reputable universities in
Europe and America indicate that the canoe is over
8,000 years old, thus making it the oldest in Africa
and 3rd oldest in the world. The discovery of the
canoe has completely changed accepted theories of
the history and sophistication of marine technology in
Africa.
16. Sungbo’s Eredo, a 160 km rampart equipped
with guard houses and moats
Sungbo’s Eredo is reputed to be the largest single pre-
colonial monument (or ancient fortification if you like)
in Africa. It is located in present-day Ijebu-Ode, Ogun
State and when it was built a millennium ago, it
required more earth to be moved during construction
than that used for building the Great Pyramid of Giza
(one of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World).
The most astonishing thing is that Sungbo’s Eredo
was the biggest city in the world (bigger than Rome
and Cairo) during the Middle Ages when it was built!
17. Sarki Abdullah Burja of Kano (ruled 1438-1452
AD).
Sarki Abdullah Burja was the 18th ruler of Ancient
Kano, created the first Golden Age in Northern Nigeria
and ushered in a period of great prosperity. During his
reign, Hausa became the biggest indigenous language
spoken in Africa after Swahili. He is on the list of 50
Greatest Africans in Robin Walker’s wonderful book,
“When We Ruled”.
18. The Jos Plateau Indigobird.
The Jos Plateau Indigobird a small reddish-brown bird,
is found nowhere else on the planet but Plateau
state, Nigeria.
19. The Anambra waxbill
The Anambra waxbil is a small bird of many beautiful
colours, is found only in Southern Nigeria and
nowhere else on earth.
20. The Niger Delta.
The Niger Delta is the second largest delta on the
planet, has the highest concentration of monotypic
fish families in the world, and is also home to sixty
percent of Nigeria’s mangrove forests. You should
know too that Nigeria’s mangrove forests are the
largest in Africa and third largest on earth.
21. Nigeria is home to 4,715 different types of
plant species
According to the World Resources Institute, Nigeria is
home to 4,715 different types of plant species, and
over 550 species of breeding birds and mammals,
making it one of the most ecologically vibrant places
of the planet.
22. Present day Osun State.
Ile-Ife, in present day Osun State, was paved as
early as 1000AD, with decorations that originated
from Ancient America suggesting there might have
been contact between the Yorubas and the Ancient
Americans half a millenium before Columbus
‘discovered’ America.

Cc; Lalasticlala, Seun, Mynd44

all this things+ bad/corrupt leaders= shithole

It's still a zoo. If you like, write a full novel on Fraudgeria, the Republic of Shithole.

No, Nigeria is just a shit_hole, nothing more, Nothing Less

This is a great country flowing with milk and honey.
The people calling it bad names today are 70% responsible for its bad image and problems.
Oh Nigeria! a great and blessed country you are.

dudebuck:
No, Nigeria is just a shit_hole, nothing more, Nothing Less

what About You.You Are A Shit Living In Shithole

Biety:
This is a great country flowing with milk and honey.
The people calling it bad names today are 70% responsible for its bad image and problems.
Oh Nigeria! a great and blessed country you are.

i Support You

mrkunlex:
what About You.You Are A Shit Living In Shithole

call me whatever you like, but the truth remains that nigeria is a shit_hole. Nations are not created by fiat

mrkunlex:
i Support You

cool

dudebuck:
call me whatever you like, but the truth remains that nigeria is a shit_hole.

ok

conductorh2:
It's still a zoo. If you like, write a full novel on Fraudgeria, the Republic of Shithole.

Where Are You now,i Hope You Are In Nigeria(Zoo As You Called It).That Mean You Are An Animal

Stop quoting me, onye Shithole

mrkunlex:
Where Are You now,i Hope You Are In Nigeria(Zoo As You Called It).That Mean You Are An Animal

Still a shit_hole.

Its great cus it name after a river, how stupid is that?