Nigeria

[ nahy-jeer-ee-uh ]

noun

1. a republic in western Africa: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British colony and protectorate. 356,669 sq. mi. (923,773 sq. km). : Abuja.

Nigeria

/ naɪˈdʒɪərɪə /

noun

1. a republic in West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea: Lagos annexed by the British in 1861; protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria formed in 1900 and united as a colony in 1914; gained independence as a member of the Commonwealth in 1960 (membership suspended from 1995 to 1999 following human rights violations); Eastern Region seceded as the Republic of Biafra for the duration of the severe civil war (1967–70); ruled by military governments from 1966. It consists of a belt of tropical rain forest in the south, with semidesert in the extreme north and highlands in the east; the main export is petroleum. Official language: English; Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba are the chief regional languages. Religion: animist, Muslim, and Christian. Currency: naira. Capital: Abuja. Pop: 174 507 539 (2013 est). Area: 923 773 sq km (356 669 sq miles)

Nigeria

1. A nation in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean ), bordered by Niger to the north, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Benin to the west. Lagos is the capital and largest city.

Notes

With over 110 million inhabitants, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country.

Nigeria has been independent from Britain since 1960, and its independent history has been marked by bloodshed and instability. An ill-fated separatist movement established the secessionist state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria from 1967 to 1970.

The city-state of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, flourished from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries as a center of commerce and culture . It was famous for its cast-gold sculptures.

Other Words From

• an·ti-Ni·ge·ri·an adjective noun
• Ni·ge·ri·an adjective noun
• pro-Ni·ge·ri·an adjective noun

Example Sentences

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu may have preferred Biden, but he is familiar with Trump’s style of politics and will seek a formula for keeping America onside in its war against jihadist group Boko Haram.

From BBC

There are players from Senegal, China, the Republic of Congo, Croatia, South Sudan and Nigeria on rosters, adding to the intrigue of overflowing talent in the Southland.

From Los Angeles Times

More than 40% of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day, according to 2023 data from Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics.

From BBC

The new policy will “improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country”, Rhoda Robinson, executive director of HACEY, an NGO advocating for healthcare access for vulnerable populations in Nigeria.

From BBC

Many pregnant women, particularly in rural Nigeria are unable to receive emergency medical care partly due to the cost.

From BBC