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- Government
-
- Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria.
-
- Type: military government since 31 December 1983.
-
- Capital: Lagos.
-
- Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1 territory*; Abuja
- Capital Territory*, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel,
- Benue, Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina,
- Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto.
-
- Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK).
-
- Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989.
-
- Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic, and tribal law.
-
- National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960).
-
- Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council,
- Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State,
- Council of Ministers (cabinet).
-
- Legislative branch: National Assembly was dissolved after
- the military coup of 31 December 1983.
-
- Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal.
-
- Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President
- and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA
- (since 27 August 1985).
-
- Political parties and leaders: two political parties established
- by the government in 1989--Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- and National Republican Convention (NRC).
-
- Suffrage: universal at age 21.
-
- Elections: President--scheduled for 1 October 1992.
-
- Communists: the pro-Communist underground consists of a
- small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are
- prominent in the country's central labor organization but
- have little influence on government.
-
- Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS,
- FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
- ILO, IMO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--
- International Wheat Council, Lake Chad Basin Commission,
- Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
- WMO, WTO.
-
- Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery
- at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202)
- 822-1500; there are Nigerian Consulates General in Atlanta,
- New York and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Lannon WALKER;
- Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing
- address is P.O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone [234] (1) 610097;
- there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna.
-
- Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white,
- and green.
-