Nigeria

nigeria

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an estimated population of 158.2 million (UN, 2010). The capital is Abuja and the largest city is Lagos. Nigeria has an area of 923,768 sq km (356, 669 sq miles). The main languages are English (official), Yoruba, Ibo, and Haussa

Nigeria became independent in 1960 from Britain. Soon after independence, a military government for ruled the country for nearly 16 years. In 1999, a peaceful civil transition was accomplished. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Despite being a leading oil producer in Africa, progress is undermined by corruption and mismanagement. An ethnic and religious tension has led thousands to be killed and displaced by the violence.

The Nigerian constitution, which was passed in 1999, prohibits all forms of discrimination against women and grants equal rights to men and women. However, customary and religious law limit these rights. Certain states in the south follow Islamic Sharia law, which strengthen customs that discriminate against women. Domestic violence is widespread mainly in polygamous families and female genital mutilation is common in certain states, manly in rural areas.
 

  • Nigeria ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples'   Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (The Maputo Protocol) on the 16th of 2004.
  • The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified by Nigeria on the 13th of June 1985.
  • Nigeria has not yet adopted a National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325).
  • There are no former or current UN Peacekeeping mandates in Nigeria.

Source: BBC, AlertNet, CIA, UN, SIGI



NIGERIA: 3,500 Widows Get Empowerment Tools in Katsina
NIGERIA: 30% Girls Have First Sex by Rape, Higher Chance of HIV
NIGERIA: 300 Women to Get Shops At Bwari Modern Park
NIGERIA: 4 Women Sue Nigerian Army, Others at ECOWAS Court Over Harassment
NIGERIA: 40,000 Young Women And Men In Nigeria Will Be Equipped Annually With Entrepreneurial Skills Through EDC Partnership With The Mastercard Foundation
NIGERIA: 40% of $11m aid needed for Boko Haram victims received
NIGERIA: 500 Women Benefit From N10 Million Lagos Scheme
NIGERIA: 5000 Women Get NGO’s Lifeline
NIGERIA: 57 Escaped Chibok Girls Gain Admission In US
NIGERIA: 63 Abducted Women, Girls Escape from Boko Haram
NIGERIA: 65.5 Percent of Girls Lack Access to Basic Education in the North
NIGERIA: 7 years after Chibok mass abduction, still no solution
NIGERIA: 8 Years After, Chibok Memories Still Linger
NIGERIA: 9,000 Nigerian Women Die of Cervical Cancer Yearly - SFH
NIGERIA: 90% of Nigerian Women Are Not Using Contraceptive – EXPERTS
NIGERIA: 94,000 Pregnant Women HIV Positive in Zamfara - NGO
NIGERIA: 9th National Assembly - Coalition Demands 50% Slots for Women
NIGERIA: A Case for Greater Women Participation in Politics
NIGERIA: A Nigerian Developer’s App Joins Efforts to Fight Sexual Crimes
NIGERIA: A Woman Does It Better
Go to top