Think Nigeria is all about traffic jams, internet scams and Boko
Haram? Wrong! This fascinating and diverse country is so much
more than that. The following tidbits about Nigeria’s history, wildlife,
people, and places might raise your eyebrows and make you
reconsider what you thought you knew about the country.

shalomiethehomie./2014/10/31/19-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-nigeria/

1. One-Fifth of Sub-Saharan Africa’s Population Lives There
Of the estimated one billion people that live in sub-Saharan Africa,
177 million of them are in Nigeria. And it’s rapidly growing. By the
year 2050, researchers estimate that the population will reach a
whopping 440 million higher than the population of USA. 50% of Nigerians live in cities, most notably greater Lagos, which has between 17 and 20 million residents.

2. Nollywood is HUGE
Nigeria’s film industry is the second-largest in the world. Only
India’s film industry(known as “Bollywood”) is larger. Nollywood is
even larger in output than Hollywood, with over 100 releases every
year.

3. It’s Famous for Butterflies
The area around Calabar, one of Nigeria’s regional hubs, contains
the world’s largest diversity of butterflies. A good way to see them
is to tour Cross River National Park, where over 300 species live,
including the gorgeous Papilio monachus, the unusual blue Iolaus
iasis, and the newly-discovered Tetrahanis okwangwo.

4. Diversity of Languages
With over 500 languages, Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of
the all languages spoken on earth. Taraba state alone has more
languages than 30 other African countries combined. The most
common native languages are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Edo,
Fulfulde, and Kanuri, while the most common non-native language
is English. English is widely spoken in urban areas and by educated
elites, but in rural parts of the country it is not spoken, or “pidgin”
English (a blend of English and native languages) is spoken.

5. The Walls of Benin
Depending on which source you cite, the ancient Walls of Benin are
the largest or second-largest man-made structure on earth (after the
Great Wall of China). Located in present day Benin City (in Edo
State), this series of stone walls, earthen ramparts, and deep moats
is 16,000 km long and spread over an area of 6500 sq km. It was
built between 800 and 1400 AD to protect the royal precinct of the
Oba (king).

6. The country is half Muslim and half Christian
Islam is practiced by 50.8% of the population, while Christians
constitute 48.8%. The majority of Muslims are in the north and west,
and Christians tend to be in the south and east. Among Christians,
24.8% are Catholic, 74.1% are Protestant, and 0.9% belong to other
denominations.

7. It’s Got Africa’s Longest Bridge
The 11.8km (5-mile) long Third Mainland Bridge connects Lagos
Island to the mainland. It starts at Oworonshoki on the Lagos
mainland, and ends at Adeniji-Adele interchange on Lagos Island.

NICE ONE BUT

8. You Might Have a Hard Time With “Pidgin” English And Local
Slang
Many people speak English in Nigeria, but you may not understand
it. Pidgin English uses English as its base, but it has lots of
colloquialisms and local slang woven through it. For example, the
term “010” means to skip breakfast and dinner but eat lunch, while
“101” means to skip lunch but to eat breakfast and dinner.

Nice one. More of this please

nollywood releases over 100 drama in a month, I know this because i have worked in a home video renting shop & i am a member of the actors guild of Nigeria
the annoying part is, 98% of what they release are rubbish

9. Twins are Everywhere
If you find yourself doing double-takes every few minutes in Nigeria,
don’t worry, you’re not seeing things. Nigeria, and in particular the
Yoruba community, has a higher incidence of twin births than
anywhere else in the world (5% of all deliveries). Scientists are not
entirely sure why, but one theory is that yams, which are a dietary
staple in Yoruba culture, boost estrogen production and thus
increase fertility.

10. Nigerians Love Champagne
Bubbly is seriously popular in Nigeria: in 2013 the beverage retailer
Shoprite reportedly sold more Moet & Chandon champagne in its
seven Nigerian branches than it did in its 600 South African stores
combined. This is most likely due to Nigeria’s growing wealth: a
recent survey ranked Lagos third in Africa (after Johannesburg and
Cairo) in terms of number of millionaires per capita. These nouveau
rich love to spend their money on cars, clothes, and, apparently,
booze.

11. Longest River
Although the river itself rises in the highlands of Guinea before
skirting through Mali and Niger, Nigeria is home to most of the
Niger River, which is the longest river in West Africa at 4,180km
(and the third longest in Africa). It empties into the Gulf of Guinea
after spreading its rich soil through the Niger Delta (where it joins
up with the Benue River).

12. Some of the oldest humans
Archaeological evidence indicates that humans lived in Nigeria as far
back as 9000 BC, making it one of the oldest spots on earth for
human settlement. The Nok civilisation (500 BC – 200 AD) is the
oldest known civilisation in Nigeria.

13. Oil rich/poor
Nigeria is the 12th largest crude oil producer in the world (and the
largest in Africa), and the 18th largest exporter. Export of petroleum
accounts for around 85% of the government’s revenue. Oil was only
discovered in 1956, and today Port Harcourt is at the forefront of the
oil industry in Nigeria. You would think this would make for a
fabulously wealthy nation, like Saudi Arabia, but sadly the oil wealth
has not trickled down to the average Nigerian and the inhabitants of
the Niger Delta are some of the poorest in the country.

14. What’s in a name?
Nigeria takes its name from the River Niger, which flows through the
country. Its official name is the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Eldavido1:
6. The country is half Muslim and half Christian
Islam is practiced by 48.8% of the population, while Christians
constitute 50.8%. The majority of Muslims are in the north and east,
and Christians tend to be in the south and west. Among Christians,
24.8% are Catholic, 74.1% are Protestant, and 0.9% belong to other
denominations.

correct the boldened part

15. Mobile phone love affair
There are over 120 million mobile phone subscribers in Nigeria,
although many people will have two or three subscriptions to deal
with the terrible service. At any rate, this number puts if far ahead of
any other country in Africa (Egypt has 93 million). Dare we say
Nigerians love to talk?

16. Party! Party! Party!
If you’ve never been to a Nigerian party…you should probably add
that to your bucket list! The first step would be getting a Nigerian
friend (we’re everywhere…shouldn’t be too difficult). Until you’ve
experienced what it’s like to begin a party at 6pm (scheduled for
4pm) till you the venue forces you to leave….you haven’t lived!
Nigerians take pride in their culture, and the fellowship (party) that
takes place after church, a wedding, or just a get together is truly
remarkable. Bring your dancing shoes, and be prepared to meet a
lot of “Aunties & Uncles”

17. Happy People
According to research done every year, Nigerians consistently rank
high as some of the worlds happiest , most optimistic and hopeful
people! The country is certainly no disneyland, however, after seeing
and living through some of life’s worst…hope is what keeps them
moving forward. Not sure what Forbes was thinking….but good
thing they aren’t considered people experts…stick to numbers! Now
see below!

18. Billionaires
Of the 9 black billionaires in the 2014 Forbes list, 4 are Nigerian.

Eldavido1:
7. It’s Got Africa’s Longest Bridge
The 11.8km (5-mile) long Third Mainland Bridge connects Lagos
Island to the mainland. It starts at Oworonshoki on the Lagos
mainland, and ends at Adeniji-Adele interchange on Lagos Island.

it used to be the longest bridge in Africa before 1996 when October 6 bridge in Cairo, Egypt covering a distance of about 20.5km was completed.

19. Everything Else
* Ebola Free – That’s right! The World Health Organization has
declared Nigeria free of the virus.

Nigeria Nigeria Nigeria !!!

What a great land of birth I belong to,
What a massive diversify entity we share,
What a united solidarity parade we being upon since 1960.

I pray God continue to keep diz hetro-ethnicity community together in peace and harmony

May terrorism never break this nation apart

May this country never fulfill the prophesy of PRO ACHEBE *There was a country*

Nigeria I hail thee.
Longlive F.R.Nigeria
#AmProudLYNigierian

The capital Abuja is located at the centre of the country. One of the few cities in the world built from scratch.

Eldavido1:
4. Diversity of Languages
With over 500 languages, Nigeria is home to seven percent (7%) of
the all languages spoken on earth. Taraba state alone has more
languages than 30 other African countries combined. The most
common native languages are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ibibio, Edo,
Fulfulde, and Kanuri, while the most common non-native language
is English. English is widely spoken in urban areas and by educated
elites, but in rural parts of the country it is not spoken, or “pidgin”
English (a blend of English and native languages) is spoken.

i smell sh*t, what of TIV language?

nice piece

iamodenigbo1:
NICE ONE BUT

What's the "but" bro....

Tolexander:
correct the boldened part

Tanx for the correction

Wow