The most interesting facts about Nigeria, from the twins capital of the world to Nollywood – the world’s second-largest film industry.
Fast facts
Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Capital city: Abuja
Population: 236,747,130
Area: 923,768 sq km
Major languages: English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Ijaw
Time zone: UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
Interesting facts about Nigeria
1. Nigeria is located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Chad, Cameroon and Benin.
2. Nigeria has been inhabited since at least 9000 BC with fossil remains uncovered by archaeologists in the region dated to that period.
3. Nigeria takes its name from the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean. One theory suggests it comes from a regional phrase, “Ni Gir,” meaning “River Gir.”
4. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and the world’s sixth-most populous.
5. Nigeria has seen its population surge from 95 million in 1990 to 201 million in 2019. It is set to double again to more than 400 million by 2050 when it will overtake the US as the world’s third most populous country. By 2100, it is expected to rise to 733 million.
6. From around the 11th century onwards, several city-states, kingdoms, and empires were formed in Nigeria, including the Hausa kingdoms and Borno dynasty in the north and the Oyo and Benin kingdoms in the south.
7. Nigeria has a vertically striped green-white-green flag. The original design featured a red sun with sixteen rays in the center.
See how Nigeria’s flag compares to other African flags.
8. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the transatlantic slave trade saw thousands – possibly millions – of Nigerians forcibly sent to the Americas.
9. Along with the five major languages, over 500 additional indigenous languages are spoken in Nigeria.
10. Nigeria is home to Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man. With a net worth of over $13.5 billion in 2021, Dangote owns Dangote Cement, the continent’s largest cement producer.
11. Benin City in Nigeria was the center of the Benin Kingdom. Beginning in the 15th century, the kingdom gave rise to the first internationally recognized African art form known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’ (elaborately decorated brass and bronze sculptures).
12. In 1897, the city was destroyed by the British and its treasures stolen. The majority of those treasures remain locked in the British Museum in London.
13. From 1967 to 1970, the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War) was fought between the Nigerian government and the secessionist state of Biafra. At its height, up to 12,000 people a day were dying from starvation. An estimated 1-3 million people were killed during the conflict.
14. Until 1991, Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city in Nigeria, was also its capital. Nigeria moved its capital to the planned city of Abuja in 1991 as Abuja was more centrally located, more politically and ethnically neutral and less congested.
15. Lagos is also Africa’s largest city. In 2012, the population of Lagos surpassed Egypt’s Cairo in size. Its population is estimated to be at least 21 million.
16. The Nigerian film industry is known as Nollywood as it produces around 50 movies per week, second only to India’s Bollywood and more than the USA’s Hollywood. It is also Nigeria’s second-largest employer, with more than a million people employed in the industry.
17. The Nigerian town of Igbo Ora is known as the “twins capital of the world” as around 50 sets of twins are born out of every 1,000 births – one of the highest rates of twin births in the world.
18. With a Global Terrorism Index (GTI) score of 7.658 in 2025, Nigeria ranks sixth globally for terrorism impact, reflecting ongoing violence from armed Islamist groups including Boko Haram concentrated in its northern areas.
19. Nigeria, which was once Africa’s largest economy, is set to slip to fourth place in 2024. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook projects Nigeria’s gross domestic product to reach $253 billion at current prices this year.
20. Nigeria has one of the world’s highest birth rates. It is estimated that an average of 4.20 children are born per woman.
21. Nigeria has the world’s lowest life expectancy in 2023. It is estimated at 54 years.
22. The UNESCO-listed Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a dense sacred forest dotted with shrines, sculptures, and artworks in honor of Osun – the Yoruba people’s goddess of fertility. Many of the sculptures were created by Suzanne Wenger (known locally as Aduni Olosa, the ‘Adored One’), an Austrian painter and sculptor who visited in the 1950s.
23. Nigeria is a major oil producer and holds the largest gas reserves in Africa. The country’s primary source of foreign exchange comes from its oil and natural gas revenues. It has the world’s tenth-biggest oil reserves – an estimated 37.5 billion barrels in 2018.
24. Nigeria has also been rated as one of the world’s hungriest countries. The 2025 Global Hunger Index places Nigeria as the world’s 9th hungriest country.
25. Nearly 95% of Nigeria’s rainforest has been destroyed. Sources say the forests are some of the most threatened on the planet. In 1999, the WWF predicted any remaining rainforest in Nigeria would disappear by 2020.
26. Since 2009, the jihadist organization Boko Haram has fought a low-level war against Christian communities and the Nigerian government, killing several thousands of people. Regular attacks continue.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.