Nigeria

Nigeria is a federal republic on the west coast of Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea. It is the most populous nation in Africa and one of the most ethnically diverse states in the world. In the UN M49 standard, Nigeria is assigned the numeric code 566, the ISO alpha-2 code NG, and the ISO alpha-3 code NGA. The UN groups Nigeria under the region Africa and the subregion Sub-Saharan Africa; Nigeria is a member state of the United Nations. The World Bank lists Abuja in its capital field. These identifiers are administrative and statistical facts, not political or territorial claims.

How to verify current data without freezing volatile figures

Population estimates, languages, currency, government structure, economic output and visa policy all change on different schedules. Census results appear years after collection; exchange rates move daily; visa rules shift without advance notice. Do not treat a single figure in a profile as current. Instead, trace each figure to its source and note the reference year.

The United Nations M49 standard provides the stable identifiers for Nigeria. The World Bank country API returns the country code, region, income level, and capital field as maintained by the World Bank. Those two sources anchor the classification facts below.

Which sources to use for which figure

• Population: United Nations World Population Prospects (biennial) or the World Bank DataBank indicator SP.POP.TOTL. Always cite the reference year and the definition (de facto or de jure).
• Currency and language: Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics, or the CIA World Factbook as a secondary compilation. Cross-check the Factbook against a primary source.
• Travel and visa requirements: Your own foreign ministry or the IATA Travel Centre, not a general country profile.
• Stable identifiers: UN M49 standard and the World Bank country API (see the classification facts below).

Stable classification facts

The fields below are stable identifiers, not volatile statistics. They come from the UN M49 standard, ISO 3166-1, and the World Bank country API.

• UN M49 code: 566
• ISO alpha-2: NG
• ISO alpha-3: NGA
• UN region: Africa
• UN subregion: Sub-Saharan Africa
• UN member state: Yes
• World Bank capital field: Abuja
• IANA country-code top-level domain: .ng

These codes are used for data-exchange and statistical purposes. They do not imply a political or territorial position on any boundary dispute. The UN M49 overview explains the grouping system and its limits: The World Bank’s country metadata, including the capital field, is available through its country API:

What the UN M49 grouping means

The UN M49 standard assigns numeric codes to countries and areas for statistical convenience. Nigeria’s code is 566. The alpha-2 code NG and alpha-3 code NGA come from ISO 3166-1, maintained by the International Organization for Standardization, not the UN. The UN region “Africa” and subregion “Sub-Saharan Africa” are statistical groupings; they are not political blocs and do not imply any legal status or territorial claim. Nigeria is a UN member state, which means it has a seat in the UN General Assembly and is listed in the UN M49 standard as a sovereign state. The capital field in the World Bank country API is Abuja, but the API’s “capitalCity” value is an administrative label, not a political statement about federal structure.

Capital, currency, and languages

The World Bank lists the capital as Abuja, which replaced Lagos as the federal capital in 1991. Lagos remains the largest city and commercial centre. Currency, language, and government type change over time; consult the CIA World Factbook or the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics for the current official positions. For language, Nigeria has no single official language at the federal level in the 1999 constitution; English is the language of official business and education. Major regional languages include Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. The currency is the naira (NGN). For current denominations and exchange rates, use the Central Bank of Nigeria or a reputable financial data provider.

Population and demographic data

Population figures are estimates, not exact counts. Nigeria’s last census was conducted in 2006, and the next census was repeatedly postponed; the most recent official figures are projections from the National Population Commission (NPC) and international organisations. The United Nations Population Division publishes annual estimates; the World Bank’s Population, total indicator uses the same underlying sources. For the current year, cite the UN World Population Prospects or the World Bank API and note the reference year.

Why population figures differ between sources

The United Nations publishes biennial population estimates and projections; the World Bank publishes annual population data in its DataBank. These two sources may differ because they use different census base years, projection models, and adjustment factors. Census counts in Nigeria have historically undercounted some northern states and overcounted others; treat any single population figure as an estimate, not a precise count.

How to cite a population figure correctly

For the most recent UN estimate, see the World Population Prospects page, which is updated every two years. For the World Bank figure, use the API endpoint listed above and look for the SP.POP.TOTL indicator for Nigeria; note the reference year printed next to the value. Always cite the year, the source, and the definition (de facto population vs. de jure population). Do not use a figure from one source and a growth rate from another without checking whether they use the same definition and reference date.

Age structure and its effect on projections

Nigeria’s median age is young, roughly 18 years in recent UN estimates, which affects dependency ratios and economic projections. The nation’s age structure is far below the global median. The UN’s World Population Prospects is the standard source for population estimates between census years. Post-2006 population figures are projections, not counts. Always label these figures as estimates, not census results.

How the World Bank API helps

The World Bank API returns the official country name, capital city, region, income level, and lending category, plus the latest available indicators when queried for specific series. The reference year for each indicator is included in the API response; do not assume the most recent calendar year is available for every country. Use the API together with the UN M49 overview when you need to compare Nigeria with another nation on the same basis.