Nigeria
Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted
in 1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government completed.

Population: 126,635,626

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin
and Cameroon

Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Economy: The oil-rich Nigerian economy is undergoing substantial
economic reform under the new civilian administration. Nigeria’s economy suffered from over dependence on the
capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of
budgetary revenues. Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food.

HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS Information): Estimated Adults with HIV, end of 2001 – 3,500,000 (six percent)
Estimated number of orphans under age 15 at the end of 2001 – 1,000,000.*

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