The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Lord Lugard, a British colonial administrator.
Nigeria is located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea and has a total area of 923,768 km2 (356,669 sq mi), making it the world's 32nd-largest country (after Tanzania).
Nigeria has been home to a number of kingdoms and tribal states over the millennia. The modern state originated from British colonial rule beginning in the 19th century, and took its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914. The British set up administrative and legal structures whilst practising indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms. Nigeria became a formally independent federation in 1960. It experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970. It thereafter alternated between democratically elected civilian governments and military dictatorships until it achieved a stable democracy in 1999, with the 2011 presidential election considered the first to be reasonably free and fair.
Nigeria is often referred to as the "Giant of Africa", owing to its large population and economy. With 186 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria has the third-largest youth population in the world, after India and China, with more than 90 million of its population under age. The country is viewed as a multinational state as it is inhabited by over 500 ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; these ethnic groups speak over 500 different languages and are identified with a wide variety of cultures. The official language is English. Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Christians, who live mostly in the southern part of the country, and Muslims, who live mostly in the north. A minority of the population practise religions indigenous to Nigeria, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities.
As of 2015, Nigeria is the world's 20th largest economy, worth more than $500 billion and $1 trillion in terms of nominal GDP and purchasing power parity respectively. It overtook South Africa to become Africa's largest economy in 2014. The 2013 debt-to-GDP ratio was 11 percent. Nigeria is considered to be an emerging market by the World Bank; it has been identified as a regional power on the African continent, a middle power in international affairs, and has also been identified as an emerging global power. However, it currently has a "low" Human Development Index, ranking 152nd in the world. Nigeria is a member of the MINT group of countries, which are widely seen as the globe's next "BRIC-like" economies. It is also listed among the "Next Eleven" economies set to become among the biggest in the world. Nigeria is a founding member of the African Union and a member of many other international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and OPEC.
The history of Nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers (Nigerians) living in the area as early as 11000 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is today Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Borno Empire between (1068 AD) and Hausa States around (1385 AD) during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Lagos was invaded by British forces in 1851 and formally annexed in 1861. Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1901. Colonization lasted until 1960, when an independence movement succeeded in gaining Nigeria its independence.
Nigeria first became a republic in 1963, but succumbed to military rule three years later after a bloody coup d'état. A separatist movement later formed the Republic of Biafra in 1967, leading to the three-year Nigerian Civil War. Nigeria became a republic once again after a new constitution was written in 1979. However, the republic was short-lived, when the military seized power again four years later. A new republic was planned to established in August 1993, but was dissolved once again by General Sani Abacha three months later. Abacha died in 1998 and a fourth republic was later established the following year, which ended three decades of intermittent military rule.
LIST OF NIGERIAN PRESIDENTS (FROM 1960 TO DATE)
Nigeria had only one president since 1914 till 1960 and that was Queen of England. After independence in 1960, Nigerian indigenous presidents started controlling the affair of the country. In this write-up, you will be informed about the presidents of Nigeria since independence since 1980 till date.
1: Sir A Tafawa Balewa
He was the very first prime minister of Nigeria. He became the prime minister in 1960 and was killed 6 years after during a coup de tat. He became prime minister via a political coalition between the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons and the NPC. The former party was led by Late Nnamdi Azikiwe. Tafawa Balewa was a teacher and he entered into government in 1952. He later served as the minister of transport during the colonial era.
2: Gen Aguiyi Ironsi
Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was a Nigerian Igbo political figure. He served as the President of Nigeria from January 16, 1966 until he was overthrown and killed in a coup on July 29, 1966. Major General J.T Aguiyi-Ironsi, Nigeria’s first military Head of State was born in 1924 in Umuahia, Abia State. He later joined the Nigeria Army in 1942 as a private and was promoted Major General in 1964
3: General Yakubu Gowon
He took power after one military coup d’etat and was overthrown in another. He remains the youngest person to have ruled the country. His government fought to keep Nigeria one during the civil war(1967-1970), which broke out in the aftermath of the regional tensions arising from the January and July 1966 coups d’etat.
4: Gen Murtala Mohammed
A hausa, trained at the British military academy at sandhurst, murtala muhammed had command of federal field forces in the had played a prominent role in rallying northern offices behind the july1996 coup that fell ironsi .Murtala Muhammed was however killed on February 13,1976 in an abortive coup attempt when his car was ambushed in traffic in lagos .
5: General Olusegun Obasanjo
e was a chief of staff during Muritala R Muhammed regime before he was named as a military leader in the country. He was the first military leader in the country. He handed over power to a civilian government, Alhaji Sehu Shagari, he became elected civilian president on may 29 ,1999
6: Alhaaji Shehu Shagari
Nigeria’s Second Republic President, was the first elected president of Nigeria to exercise full executive powers, after the handover of power by General Olusegun Obasanjo caretaker Government.
7: Maj. General Muhammadu Buhari
Major General Buhari and Major General Tunde Idiagbon were selected to lead the country by middle and high rank military offices after a successful military coup d’etat that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari on December 31,1983.
8: Gen. Ibrahim Babangida
He introduced the concept of military president into the Nigerian political lexicon and till date remains the country’s only military leader addressed by that title. He maintained a firm grip on power and tried to abrogate the unpopular policies he inherited in office. Babangida’s regime was popular for its liberal economic policies.
9: Chief Ernest Shonekan,
10: Late General Sanni Abacha,
11: General Abdulsalam Abubakar,
12: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
13: Late Umaru Musa Yar’adua,
14: Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and
15: Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, who is the current present
