Nigeria is a country in West Africa, borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west, situated between the Sahel to the north, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria population in 2024 is estimated to be 230.2 million, covering an area of 923,769 sq km (356,669 sq mi), most populous country in Africa, sixth populous country in the world. Lagos is the capital city of Nigeria. Lagos was occupied by British forces in 1851 and the region was annexed by Britain in the year 1865. The period of British rule in Nigeria lasted until 1960, due to the independence movement British granted independence, became a formally independent federation on 1 October 1960. But soon after Nigeria experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970, followed by a succession of military dictatorships. Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages. The major languages spoken in Nigeria such as Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Ijaw, Fulfulde, Ogoni, and Edo. Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa are the most spoken languages in Africa. Nigeria's economy is the largest in Africa, the twenty-eighth largest economy in the world by GDP.
By religion, Nigeria is divided into Muslims, Christians and Indigenous religions, Muslims who live mostly in the north, and Christians who live mostly in the south and indigenous religions of those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicity are in the minority. Prior to British colony, Nigeria has many indigenous states and kingdoms since the second millennium BC, popular being Nok civilization in the 15th century BC. Nigeria ranks eighth in the most dangerous countries in the world, ranks twentieth most conflict region as per the terms of Global Peace Index. Criminal groups and brothel owners exploit Nigerian women and girls in sex trafficking within Nigeria. Some are taken from Nigeria to other West and Central African countries, primarily Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana, Chad, Benin, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Gambia. As per the National Population Commission, The highest number of reported cases of trafficking in 2017 was 1,424 out of these females aged 18 years and above were higher than the males with a total number of 1,001, and further the trend reducing as the total trafficking cases was 929 in 2019.
Below table is the population of Nigeria from 1960 to 2020:| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 45,138,460 |
| 1965 | 50,127,920 |
| 1970 | 55,982,142 |
| 1975 | 63,374,289 |
| 1980 | 73,423,646 |
| 1985 | 83,562,776 |
| 1990 | 95,212,454 |
| 1995 | 107,948,339 |
| 2000 | 122,283,853 |
| 2005 | 138,865,014 |
| 2010 | 158,503,203 |
| 2015 | 181,137,454 |
| 2020 | 206,139,587 |
Nigeria Country Code is NGA, Population of Nigeria in 1960 is 45,138,460, by 1970 the population increased by 10 million people to 55 million, by 1980 the population increased to 73 million and by 1990 the population is doubled to 95 million in 30 years, from 1990 to 2000 population increased to 122 million an increase of 27 million and 36 million from 2000 to 2010, the population growth in this period is 29.62 percent, From 2010 to 2020 the population growth was is 47 million resulting in total of 206 million, with a growth of 30.05 percent which is equivalent to the period from 1960 to 1990. The Nigeria population in 2021 is estimated to be 211 million. As per the National Population Commission, The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the year 2018 was 5.3 as the total births registered in 2019 was 6.8 million increased in two years when compared in 2017 was 5 million. Nigeria population in 2023 is estimated to be 223.1 million, population in 2022 is estimated to be 216 million.
Below is the Nigerian cities list:
| Rank | Cities | State/Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | Lagos | 15,388,000 |
| 2 | Kano | Kano | 4,103,000 |
| 3 | Ibadan | Oyo | 3,649,000 |
| 4 | Port Harcourt | Rivers | 1,865,000 |
| 5 | Benin City | Edo | 1,782,000 |
| 6 | Kaduna | Kaduna | 1,582,102 |
| 7 | Onitsha | Anambra | 1,553,000 |
| 8 | Abuja | FCT | 1,235,880 |
| 9 | Zaria | Kaduna | 975,153 |
| 10 | Aba | Abia | 897,560 |
| 11 | Jos | Plateau | 816,824 |
| 12 | Ilorin | Kwara | 814,192 |
Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal capital territory. The Federal Capital Territory, is the capital territory of Nigeria, and it is in this territory that the capital city of Abuja is located. Each state is subdivided into local government areas and currently there are 774 local governments in Nigeria. Kano state is the populous state with more than 14 million, Bayelsa is the least populated state with 2.3 million. Niger is the largest state by area with 76,363 sq km, followed by Borno and Taraba with 70,898 sq km and 54,473 sq km.
| Rank | State | Area (Sq KM) | Population (2006) | Population (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kano | 20,131 | 9,401,288 | 14,253,549 |
| 2 | Lagos | 3,345 | 9,113,605 | 12,772,884 |
| 3 | Katsina | 24,192 | 5,801,584 | 9,300,382 |
| 4 | Kaduna | 46,053 | 6,113,503 | 8,324,285 |
| 5 | Bauchi | 49,119 | 4,653,066 | 7,540,663 |
| 6 | Oyo | 28,454 | 5,580,894 | 7,512,855 |
| 7 | Rivers | 11,077 | 5,198,716 | 7,034,973 |
| 8 | Jigawa | 23,154 | 4,361,002 | 6,779,080 |
| 9 | Niger | 76,363 | 3,954,772 | 6,220,617 |
| 10 | Ogun | 16,762 | 3,751,140 | 5,945,275 |
| 11 | Sokoto | 25,973 | 3,702,676 | 5,863,187 |
| 12 | Benue | 34,059 | 4,253,641 | 5,787,706 |
| 13 | Borno | 70,898 | 4,171,104 | 5,751,590 |
| 14 | Anambra | 4,844 | 4,177,828 | 5,599,910 |
| 15 | Zamfara | 39,762 | 3,278,873 | 5,317,793 |
| 16 | Delta | 17,698 | 4,112,445 | 5,307,543 |
| 17 | Imo | 5,530 | 3,927,563 | 5,167,722 |
| 18 | Kebbi | 36,800 | 3,256,541 | 5,001,610 |
| 19 | Ondo | 15,500 | 3,460,877 | 4,969,707 |
| 20 | Akwa Ibom | 7,081 | 3,902,051 | 4,780,581 |
| 21 | Adamawa | 36,917 | 3,178,950 | 4,536,948 |
| 22 | Edo | 17,802 | 3,233,366 | 4,461,137 |
| 23 | Plateau | 30,913 | 3,206,531 | 4,400,974 |
| 24 | Enugu | 7,161 | 3,267,837 | 4,396,098 |
| 25 | Osun | 9,251 | 3,416,959 | 4,237,396 |
| 26 | Cross River | 20,156 | 2,892,988 | 4,175,020 |
| 27 | Kogi | 29,833 | 3,314,043 | 4,153,734 |
| 28 | Abia | 6,320 | 2,845,380 | 3,841,943 |
| 29 | Gombe | 18,768 | 2,365,040 | 3,623,462 |
| 30 | Yobe | 45,502 | 2,321,339 | 3,398,177 |
| 31 | Ekiti | 6,353 | 2,398,957 | 3,350,401 |
| 32 | Taraba | 54,473 | 2,294,800 | 3,331,885 |
| 33 | Kwara | 36,825 | 2,365,353 | 3,259,613 |
| 34 | Ebonyi | 5,670 | 2,176,947 | 3,007,155 |
| 35 | Nasarawa | 27,117 | 1,869,377 | 2,632,239 |
| 36 | Bayelsa | 10,773 | 1,704,515 | 2,394,725 |
| Federal Capital Territory | 7,315 | 1,406,239 | 2,702,443 | |
| Total | Nigeria | 923,769 | 140,431,790 | 201,135,262 |
Source nationalpopulation
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