Nigeria country profile
Map of Nigeria
After lurching from one military coup to another, Nigeria now has an elected leadership. But it faces the growing challenge of preventing Africa's most populous country from breaking apart along ethnic and religious lines.
Political liberalisation ushered in by the return to civilian rule in 1999 has allowed militants from religious and ethnic groups to express their frustrations more freely, and with increasing violence.
Overview
* Overview
* Facts
* Leaders
* Media
Thousands of people have died over the past few years in communal rivalry. Separatist aspirations have been growing, prompting reminders of the bitter civil war over the breakaway Biafran republic in the late 1960s.
AT A GLANCE
"Jankara" market, Lagos Island
Politics: People's Democratic Party (PDP) has dominated since the return to civilian rule in 1999. President Yar'Adua's prolonged absence from the country from late 2009 triggered a constitutional crisis.
Economy: Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer; more than half of its people live in poverty
International: Nigeria plays a prominent role in African affairs; has withdrawn troops from oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to settle border dispute with Cameroon
Timeline
The imposition of Islamic law in several states has embedded divisions and caused thousands of Christians to flee. Inter-faith violence is said to be rooted in poverty, unemployment and the competition for land.
The government is striving to boost the economy, which experienced an oil boom in the 1970s and is once again benefiting from high prices on the world market. But progress has been undermined by corruption and mismanagement.
The former British colony is one of the world's largest oil producers, but the industry has produced unwanted side effects.
The trade in stolen oil has fuelled violence and corruption in the Niger delta - the home of the industry. Few Nigerians, including those in oil-producing areas, have benefited from the oil wealth.
In 2004, Niger Delta activists demanding a greater share of oil income for locals began a campaign of violence against the oil infrastructure, threatening Nigeria's most important economic lifeline.
Nigeria is keen to attract foreign investment but is hindered in this quest by security concerns as well as by a shaky infrastructure troubled by power cuts.
Facts
* Overview
* Facts
* Leaders
* Media
* Full name: The Federal Republic of Nigeria
* Population: 154.7 million (UN, 2009)
* Capital: Abuja
* Largest city: Lagos
* Area: 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq miles)
* Major languages: English (official), Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa
* Major religions: Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs
* Life expectancy: 47 years (men), 48 years (women) (UN)
* Monetary unit: 1 Nigerian naira = 100 kobo
* Main exports: Petroleum, petroleum products, cocoa, rubber
* GNI per capita: US $1,160 (World Bank, 2008)
* Internet domain: .ng
* International dialling code: +234
Leaders
* Overview
* Facts
* Leaders
* Media
Acting president: Goodluck Jonathan
Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan became acting president in February 2010, after President Yar'Adua had been absent from the country for more than two months.
Both houses of the Nigerian parliament voted to transfer power temporarily to Mr Jonathan to resolve what had become a constitutional crisis after the ailing Mr Yar'Adua travelled to Saudi Arabia for treatment for a heart condition.
President: Umaru Yar'Adua
Umaru Yar'Adua of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) won the presidency following the April 2007 elections which were condemned by local and foreign observers, who alleged widespread vote-rigging.
Umaru Yar'Adua
President Yar'Adua's lengthy absence brought government business to a halt
He had served as governor of the remote northern Katsina state since May 1999. A little-known figure in national politics, he was chosen by outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo as his successor.
He comes from a prominent political family. His father was a minister in the first government after independence and his late elder brother was an army general who served as deputy to President Olusegun Obasanjo when he was Nigeria's military ruler during the 1970s.
When he was elected governor of Katsina in 1999, he immediately declared his assets. In his bid for the presidency he promised to fight corruption.
In November 2009, Mr Yar'Adua's travelled to Saudi Arabia to be treated for a heart condition. His absence continued for several months, and sparked legal challenges, cabinet splits and mass street protests.
It also led to a freeze in government business and threatened the progress already made in combating unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Mr Yar'Adua was born in 1951 and was a chemistry teacher until he went into business, then politics, in the 1980s.
He took over from Olusegun Obasanjo, whose election in 1999 came at the end of a period of military rule. Mr Obasanjo won a second term in 2003. A bid to keep him in office for a third term was blocked by parliament.
Mr Obasanjo began his first leadership stint in 1976 after the assassination of Brigadier Murtala Mohamed in a failed coup. In 1979 he earned the distinction of becoming Africa's first modern military leader to hand over power to civilian rule.
Media
* Overview
* Facts
* Leaders
* Media
Nigeria's media scene is one of the most vibrant in Africa. State-run radio and TV services reach virtually all parts of the country and operate at a federal and regional level. All 36 states run their own radio stations, and most of them operate TV services.
Newspaper stand, Lagos
A lively press includes influential dailies and popular tabloids
Radio is the key source of information for many Nigerians. International broadcasters, including the BBC, are widely listened to. Rebroadcasts of foreign radio stations were banned in 2004.
Private radio and TV stations have been licensed, and there is substantial take-up of pay TV.
Private TV stations in particular are dogged by high costs and scarce advertising revenues. Moreover, legislation requires that locally-made material must comprise 60% of output. Viewing is concentrated in urban areas.
There are more than 100 national and local newspapers and publications, some of them state-owned. They include well-respected dailies, tabloids and publications which champion the interests of ethnic groups. The lively private press is often critical of the government.
Press freedom improved under former President Obasanjo, but restrictive decrees remain.
Media rights body Reporters Without Borders says Nigeria is often a violent place for the press, with journalists suffering beatings, unfair arrests and police raids.
By March 2008, 10 million Nigerians were online (ITU figure).
The press
* The Guardian - influential, privately-owned national daily
* The Champion - Lagos-based daily
* The Daily Times - Lagos-based government daily
* The Punch - privately-owned daily
* New Nigerian - government daily, separate editions in Lagos and Kaduna
* The Daily Independent - Lagos State-based daily
* Daily Trust - Abuja-based daily
* Leadership - Abuja-based daily
* The Comet - private, daily
* Vanguard - Lagos-based, widely-read daily
* This Day - widely-read Lagos-based daily
* The Daily Sun - Lagos-based
* Newswatch - weekly news magazine
* Tell - weekly news magazine
Television
* Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) - state-run, operates scores of national and regional stations; national services broadcast in English
* Degue Broadcasting Network (DBN) - private
* AIT - private, owned by DAAR Communications, broadcasting in Lagos and Abuja and via pan-African satellite service
* Minaj TV - private, serves eastern Nigeria and operates cable and satellite service
* Silverbird TV - private, serves Lagos, Port Harcourt
* Galaxy TV - private, serves western Nigeria
* Channels TV - private
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Keyamo asks Court to Dismiss Fashola Suit
Posted 15,Feb. 2010
Governor Babatunde FasholaCounsel to the Lagos State House of Assembly Mr. Festus Keyamo has asked a high court sitting in Lagos to strike out the suit instituted by a journalist, Mr. Richard Akinola to stop the state assembly from investigating financial impropriety leveled against the governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
Mr. Festus is praying the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the action is incompetent, frivolous, speculative and an abuse of legal process.
Citing from Section 4 [6] and [7], Mr. Keyamo says the respondent were right to set up a 6-man panel which was not to try the governor but rather to be informed as to whether there was a basis to proceed further with the allegations.
It could be recalled that a court sitting in Ikorodu had granted an order restraining the State House Of Assembly from proceeding with its probe on allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the state lawmakers.
In his short ruling, Justice Habeeb Abiru held that an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the defendant, that is, the Lagos state House of Assembly, whether by themselves, agents, members, officers or by whosoever from proceeding with or acting on the purported investigation of allegations of financial impropriety levelled against the executive an legislative arms of Lagos state government by a group published in a punch newspaper of January 28,2010 under the caption “The True Face of Lagos” or by any other group pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Posted 15,Feb. 2010
Governor Babatunde FasholaCounsel to the Lagos State House of Assembly Mr. Festus Keyamo has asked a high court sitting in Lagos to strike out the suit instituted by a journalist, Mr. Richard Akinola to stop the state assembly from investigating financial impropriety leveled against the governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
Mr. Festus is praying the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the action is incompetent, frivolous, speculative and an abuse of legal process.
Citing from Section 4 [6] and [7], Mr. Keyamo says the respondent were right to set up a 6-man panel which was not to try the governor but rather to be informed as to whether there was a basis to proceed further with the allegations.
It could be recalled that a court sitting in Ikorodu had granted an order restraining the State House Of Assembly from proceeding with its probe on allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola and the state lawmakers.
In his short ruling, Justice Habeeb Abiru held that an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the defendant, that is, the Lagos state House of Assembly, whether by themselves, agents, members, officers or by whosoever from proceeding with or acting on the purported investigation of allegations of financial impropriety levelled against the executive an legislative arms of Lagos state government by a group published in a punch newspaper of January 28,2010 under the caption “The True Face of Lagos” or by any other group pending the determination of the motion on notice.
7 Ex-Bank Directors Object EFCC’s Fresh Charge
Former chairman of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Chief Raymond Obieri, and six other former directors of the bank, who are facing corrupt charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday raised an objection on the amended charge brought against them.
Charged along Obieri in the 12-counts charge, are Hyacinth Enuha, Christopher Adebayo Alabi, Samuel Adegbite, Alhaji Isyaku Umar, Bayo Dada and Elder Sanni Adams.
But the former bank chiefs raised an objections when the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, ordered their re-arraignment following the formal substitution of the previous 12- charges with an amended charge by the prosecution led by M.S Hassan.
In his objection, Obieri’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) told the court that the fair accused tend to raise objections to the counts affecting his clients namely counts 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16.
The objection, he said was drawn from provisions of section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Acts (CPA), which stipulates that an accused can object to pleas on any count charge if he notice any defect on the charge.
According to him, his client cannot take plea on the charge since; there was defect in the counts.
He informed that court, that Obieri be given time in the interest of justice to file his objections on the charge against him.
Counsels of the other six accused which include Adebambo Adesanya (SAN), Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) and Mrs. Abiola Afolabi aligned themselves with the submissions of the first accused person and urged the court to adjourned the matter to allow them file their objections.
An attempt by the prosecution to have the charge read to the accused was thwarted by Justice Abutu, on the ground that there was no objection before the court.
According to the judge, since there was no objection yet before the court, and the purpose of reading the charge was to allow the accused be acquainted with the charge, there was no reason to go on with the re-arraignment as the accused have claimed to have understood the charge, he then adjourned the matter till March 22, 2010, for hearing on the applications to allow parties exchange their addresses.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had January 19, 2010 filed amended corruption charges against the Chairman of the Intercontinental Bank Plc, Raymond Obieri and six non-executive directors of the bank, hinging it on new clues and fresh facts available to EFCC.
In the new amendment, Obieri and the other six are charged for granting credit facilities in the sum of N8 billion to companies, which they are either directors or had interest in, without security, contrary to Intercontinental Bank Plc's regulations and offence contrary to section 15(1) (a) and (c) of the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Mal practices in Banks Act Cap F2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 16(1) (a) and (2) of the same Act,
They were also charged for failure to take reasonable steps to ensure that the balance sheet and the profit and loss account of Intercontinental Bank Plc are correctly reported to C.B.N and to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of Intercontinental Bank Plc with regard to a credit facilities in the sum of N8 billion, granted to SOO-KOK Holdings, which was wrongly classified as an off-balance sheet item and in respect of which no loan account was created in the name of the company.
The offense, E.F.C.C alleged, was contrary to Section 28(3) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act Cap B3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Other charges against some of the non-executive directors of Intercontinental Bank Plc include receiving several thousands of the United States dollars from the bank as holiday allowances in contravention of the code of conduct for banks issued by the C.B.N, an offense committed contrary to section 33 (5) (b) of C.B.N (Establishment) Act 2007 and punishable under the same section of the same Act.
Charged along Obieri in the 12-counts charge, are Hyacinth Enuha, Christopher Adebayo Alabi, Samuel Adegbite, Alhaji Isyaku Umar, Bayo Dada and Elder Sanni Adams.
But the former bank chiefs raised an objections when the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, ordered their re-arraignment following the formal substitution of the previous 12- charges with an amended charge by the prosecution led by M.S Hassan.
In his objection, Obieri’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) told the court that the fair accused tend to raise objections to the counts affecting his clients namely counts 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16.
The objection, he said was drawn from provisions of section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Acts (CPA), which stipulates that an accused can object to pleas on any count charge if he notice any defect on the charge.
According to him, his client cannot take plea on the charge since; there was defect in the counts.
He informed that court, that Obieri be given time in the interest of justice to file his objections on the charge against him.
Counsels of the other six accused which include Adebambo Adesanya (SAN), Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) and Mrs. Abiola Afolabi aligned themselves with the submissions of the first accused person and urged the court to adjourned the matter to allow them file their objections.
An attempt by the prosecution to have the charge read to the accused was thwarted by Justice Abutu, on the ground that there was no objection before the court.
According to the judge, since there was no objection yet before the court, and the purpose of reading the charge was to allow the accused be acquainted with the charge, there was no reason to go on with the re-arraignment as the accused have claimed to have understood the charge, he then adjourned the matter till March 22, 2010, for hearing on the applications to allow parties exchange their addresses.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had January 19, 2010 filed amended corruption charges against the Chairman of the Intercontinental Bank Plc, Raymond Obieri and six non-executive directors of the bank, hinging it on new clues and fresh facts available to EFCC.
In the new amendment, Obieri and the other six are charged for granting credit facilities in the sum of N8 billion to companies, which they are either directors or had interest in, without security, contrary to Intercontinental Bank Plc's regulations and offence contrary to section 15(1) (a) and (c) of the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Mal practices in Banks Act Cap F2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 16(1) (a) and (2) of the same Act,
They were also charged for failure to take reasonable steps to ensure that the balance sheet and the profit and loss account of Intercontinental Bank Plc are correctly reported to C.B.N and to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of Intercontinental Bank Plc with regard to a credit facilities in the sum of N8 billion, granted to SOO-KOK Holdings, which was wrongly classified as an off-balance sheet item and in respect of which no loan account was created in the name of the company.
The offense, E.F.C.C alleged, was contrary to Section 28(3) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act Cap B3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Other charges against some of the non-executive directors of Intercontinental Bank Plc include receiving several thousands of the United States dollars from the bank as holiday allowances in contravention of the code of conduct for banks issued by the C.B.N, an offense committed contrary to section 33 (5) (b) of C.B.N (Establishment) Act 2007 and punishable under the same section of the same Act.
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