Nigeria, officially the Republic of Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. It's coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja. The three largest and most influencial ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

The people of Nigeria have an extensive history and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original Homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central an southern African waves between the 1^st Millenium BC and the 2^nd Millenium.

The name Nigeria was created from a portmanteau of the words Niger and Area, taken from the River Niger running through Nigeria. This name was coined by Flora Shaw, the future wife of Baron Lugard, a British Colonial administrator, in the late 19th century.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eight most populous country in the world, and with a population of over 150 million, It is the most populous 'black' country in the world. It is a regional power, is listed among the next 'eleven' economies and is member of the Common Wealth of Nations. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.6 in 2009.

Education

Nigeria provides free, government supported education, but attendance is not compulsory at any level, and certain groups, such as nomads and handicapped are under-served. The education system does consist of six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary school, three years of senior secondary school, and four years of university education, leading to a bachelor's degree. The rate of secondary school attendance is 32 percent for males and 27 percent for females. In 2004 the Nigerian National Planning Commission described the country's education system as 'disfunctional'.

Government

NIgeria is a Federal Republic modelled after the United States, with executive power excercised by the president and with overtones and the Westminster System model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature. The current President of Nigeria is Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was elected in 2007. The president presides as both Chief of State and head of Government and is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two four-year terms. The presidents power is checked by a senate and a House of Representatives which are combined in a bicameral body called the National Assembly. The senate is a 109 seat body with three members from each state of the Federation and one from the capital region of Abuja; members are elected by popular vote to four-year terms.
The House contains 360 seats and the number of seats per state is determined by population.

Ethnocentricism, tribalism, (especially religious), and prebendalism have played a visible role in Nigerian politics both prior and subsequent to independence in 1960.Kin-selective altruism has made its way into Nigerian politics and has spurned various attempts by tribalists to concentrate Federal power to a particular region of their interests. Nationalism has also led to active secessionist movements such as MASSOB, Nationalist movements such as "Oodua Peoples Congress" Oodua Peoples Congress,"Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta" Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and a civil war. Nigeria's three largest ethnic groups have maintained historical preeminence in Nigerian politics; competition amongst these three groups, the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo has fuelled corruption and graft.

Due to the above issues, Nigeria's current political parties are pan-national and irreligious in character (though this does not preclude the continuing preeminence of the dominant ethnicities). The major political parties at present include the ruling People's democratic party (PDP) under the leadership of has 96 House seats and 27 in the Senate (26.6% and 24.7%). There are also about twenty other minor opposition parties registered. The immediate past president, Olusegun Obasanjo, acknowledged fraud and other electoral "lapses" but said the result reflected opinion polls. In a national television address he added that if Nigerians did not like the victory of his handpicked successor they would have an opportunity to vote again in four years.

Like in many other African societies, prebendalism and extremely excessive corruption continue to constitute major challenges to Nigeria, as vote rigging and other means of coercion are practised by all major parties in order to remain competitive. In 1983, it was adjudged by the policy institute at Kuru that only the 1959 and 1979 elections witnessed minimal rigging.