A HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF NIGERIA

Nigeria came into existence as a nation in 1914 (Buah, 1960), a result of the amalgamation of the northern and southern regions and boundary adjustment with Cameroon by the British government led by Lord Lugard and supported by the efforts of missionaries, after a struggle of 40 years. Nigeria became independent in 1960. Currently, Nigeria's population is 122,443,748, and its capital, Abuja, has a population of 511,471. In 1963, Nigeria joined other African nations to form the Organization of African Unity (which was recently renamed the African Union in 2002). Nigeria is also a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). There are over 300 ethnic groups in Nigeria, of which the Hausa, Igbo, and the Yoruba groups dominate in the north, east, and west, respectively. However, no one language is used nationally, despite the attempt to employ a lingua franca over two decades ago.

ECOLOGICAL FEATURES

Nigeria is situated in West Africa, bounded by the Niger Republic, the Atlantic Ocean, the Republic of Cameroon, and Benin. Nigeria has a varied ecology, with a stretch of highlands in the northeast, rainforest in the southeast, and desert in the northwest. There are 36 states; the largest and oldest city is Ibadan in Oyo State, with its weather-beaten roofs, and with a population of 1,228,663 and 287,077 households in 1991.