Nigeria
Long nameFederal Republic of Nigeria
National motto"Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"
National anthem"Nigeria, We Hail Thee"
CapitalAbuja
Coordinates9°4′N 7°29′E
Largest cityLagos
Official languagesEnglish
National languagesHausa · Igbo · Yoruba
Regional languages[1]Over 525 languages[2]
DemonymNigerian
PresidentBola Tinubu
Vice PresidentKashim Shettima
Senate PresidentGodswill Akpabio
House SpeakerTajudeen Abbas
Chief JusticeKudirat Kekere-Ekun
LegislatureNational Assembly
Upper houseSenate
Lower houseHouse of Representatives
Established event 1Current constitution adopted
Established date 129 May 1999
Area923,769 km²
Area rank31st
Area356,667 sq mi
Percent water1.4
Population estimate (2023)236,747,130[3]
Population estimate rank6th
Population density249.8 km²
Population density647 sq mi
Population density rank42nd
Gdp ppp (2024)$1.443 trillion[4]
Gdp ppp rank27th
Gdp ppp per capita$6,340[4]
Gdp ppp per capita rank142nd
Gdp nominal (2024)$252.738 billion[4]
Gdp nominal rank53rd
Gdp nominal per capita$1,110[4]
Gdp nominal per capita rank167th
Gini (2020)35.1
Gini changedecrease
Hdi (2023)0.560
Hdi changeincrease
Hdi rank164th
CurrencyNaira (₦)
Currency codeNGN
Time zoneWAT
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Drives onright[5]
Calling code+234
Cctld.ng
Ethnic groups year2018
Ethnic groups (2018)
P 1Military dictatorship in Nigeria

The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. Nigeria adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on 29 May 1999.[6]

Founding

Following the death of the military dictator and de facto ruler of Nigeria General Sani Abacha in 1998, his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, initiated the transition which heralded Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999. The ban on political activities was lifted, and political prisoners were released from detention facilities. The constitution was modeled after that of the ill-fated Nigerian Second Republic—which saw the Westminster system of government jettisoned in favor of a system closer to the American presidential system. Political parties were formed, including the People's Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the Alliance for Democracy (AD), and elections were set for April 1999. In the widely monitored 1999 election, former military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo was elected on the PDP platform. On 29 May 1999, Obasanjo was sworn in as the country's president and commander-in-chief.

In the controversial general election on 21 April 2007, Umaru Yar'Adua of the PDP was elected president. Following the death of Yar'Adua on 5 May 2010, Goodluck Jonathan became the third (and interim) president.[7] The next year, Johnathan won an election that was largely accredited as freer and fairer than all the previous elections of the Fourth Republic.[8] Former dictator Muhammadu Buhari won the 28 March 2015 general election, ending sixteen years (1999–2015) of PDP rule.[9] On 29 May 2015, Buhari was sworn in as the president of Nigeria, becoming the first opposition figure to win a presidential election since independence in 1960.[10][11]

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu won the February 2023 presidential election to succeed Buhari as Nigeria's next president. However, the opposition accused the government of electoral fraud during the polling.[12] On 29 May 2023, Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria's president.[13]

Political parties

Major parties

Defunct major opposition

Minor parties

AccordA
Action AllianceAA
Action Democratic PartyADP
Action Peoples PartyAPP
African Action CongressAAC
African Democratic CongressADC
All Progressives Grand AllianceAPGA
Allied Peoples MovementAPM
Boot PartyBP
Labour PartyLP
National Rescue MovementNRM
New Nigeria Peoples PartyNNPP
Peoples Redemption PartyPRP
Social Democratic PartySDP
Young Progressive PartyYPP
Zenith Labour PartyZLP

Presidents

Presidents during the Nigerian Fourth Republic
PresidentTermParty
Olusegun Obasanjo29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007PDP
Umaru Yar'Adua29 May 2007 – 5 May 2010PDP
Goodluck Jonathan6 May 2010 – 29 May 2015PDP
Muhammadu Buhari29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023APC
Bola Tinubu29 May 2023 – presentAPC

Constitutional amendments

See also

Further reading

  • John A. Ayoade, and Adeoye A. Akinsanya, eds. Nigeria's Critical Election, 2011 (Lexington Books; 2012)

References

  1. ^ "Languages of Nigeria". Ethnologue. Archived 15 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  2. ^ Blench, Roger (2014). An Atlas Of Nigerian Languages. Oxford: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
  3. ^ 2025.
  4. ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Nigeria)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived 16 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  5. ^ Akinbode, Ayomide (2 April 2019). "Why Nigeria changed from Right-Hand Drive to Left-Hand Drive in 1972". thehistoryville.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021. The terms 'right- and left-hand drive' refer to the position of the driver in the vehicle and are the reverse of the terms 'right- and left-hand traffic'.
  6. ^ "June 12, NASS and Nigeria's Fourth Republic". The Punch. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  7. ^ "Goodluck Jonathan wins vote to run in Nigeria's April election". The Guardian. Associated Press. 14 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Nigeria election: Riots over Goodluck Jonathan win". BBC News. 17 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins presidency". BBC News. 31 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Nigeria's President Buhari promises change at inauguration". BBC News. 29 May 2015.
  11. ^ Abang, Mercy. "Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari sworn in for second term as president". www.aljazeera.com
  12. ^ "Who is Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's president-elect?". www.aljazeera.com
  13. ^ "Bola Tinubu sworn in as Nigeria's president, succeeds Buhari". www.aljazeera.com