Recently updated on February 15th, 2022 at 05:13 am
How Great Is Nigeria! By Olatoyese Adesinmi
Introduction
Nigeria is a country in West Africa situated on the Gulf of Guinea, has an estimated population of 190 million (United Nations estimate), approximate total land area of 924 Km² (357 sq. miles); borders Benin in the west, Niger in the north, Chad and Cameroon in the east. Nigeria has thirty-six (36) states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Nigeria is a great country, blessed with copious natural resources, resourceful people, natural and artificial landmarks and monuments, and has a lot of economic potentials.
The Things That Make Nigeria Great
Mineral Resources
With natural resources including petroleum, natural gas, limestone, iron ore, tin, coal, niobium, lead, zinc timber, and many more spread across the 36 states of the country, Nigeria is blessed with large deposits of mineral resources. These minerals resources, serving both the mining and manufacturing industries, put Nigeria on a pedestal.
The superabundance of petroleum in Nigeria positions her as the 12th largest producer and 8th largest exporter of petroleum in the world and also accounts for about ninety percent (90%) of total exports revenue. Also, as a result of the superfluity of these natural resources, Nigeria exports other things such as gold, rough wood and cocoa. This implies economic potentials for Nigeria.
Agriculture
Another great thing about Nigeria is it’s commendable stake in agriculture—plant cultivation and livestock production. Every part of Nigeria has different types of soil, which affords her the opportunity of cultivating a variety of crops.
The soil of the Northern part of Nigeria is suitable for cultivation of many plants including groundnut, sorghum, cowpeas, and many more, with the wetter areas suitable for cultivation of rice, yam, etc.; and the South, advantaged of diverse crops cultivation as a result of being tropical rain forested, is suitable for cocoa, oil palm, ginger, corn, millet and rubber.
Also, Nigeria is prominent in livestock production. The weather is enabling for the production of livestock such as goats, chicken, rabbits, cattle, and horses with little dependence in importation of meat. This places Nigeria as one of the four leading livestock producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing about 12.7% of the total agricultural GDP.
System of Government
Also great about Nigeria is her system of government. Often defined as the government of the people by the people for the people, and regarded as the order of governance for the century given its features, Nigeria operates the democratic system of government. This system of government confers on the citizens the power to rule, directly or indirectly.
Nigerians enjoy the accompanying liberties of Democracy; it vests Nigerians the freedom to choose who rules through voting, freedom of expression, right to live, and the right to vote and be voted for. As democracy advances, Nigerians are at chances of enjoying the other perks of the governing system.
Population
At about 190 million people, Nigeria has the highest population in Africa, seventh (7th) in the world. This population gives Nigeria an advantage of sufficient human resources and high demand for consumer goods, which makes it a good environment for businesses and investments. This population, coupled with the expected growth, implies economic development for the country.
Furthermore, the Nigerian populace has average age of 18 and such is teeming with youths. With youths regarded as the building blocs of a country, this suggests tremendous growth for Nigeria given leadership, creative and innovative ingenuity of youths.
International Relations
Another thing that makes Nigeria great is its decent relations with other countries. Nigeria maintains fair relations with other countries, which are established from diplomacies, military aids, or trade.
Nigeria has provided military supports to many African countries such as peacekeeping in Liberia, ending the apartheid regime in South Africa, restoring democracy in Angola among others.
Also, Nigeria has established international relations resulting from fair trade with countries like South Africa, India, China, United States of America and many more. This international relations is great such that whenever Nigeria is faced with crisis — economical, civil unrest, or terrorism, these countries may offer support.
Landmarks
Nigeria is notable for some of its landmarks and monuments. It houses many great natural and artificial historical, cultural, and geographical significance.
Many noteworthy landmarks like Sungbo Eredo’s Monument which is the largest single monument in Africa; Benin Moat, which with 32,000 kilometers in length is the largest earthwork in the world; Owu Falls, the steepest falls in West Africa; Aso Rock and Caves; Obudu Mountain Resort, a famous tourist attraction and many more are domiciled in Nigeria.
Conclusion
As illustrated above, it is evident that Nigeria is great. It has potentials for great economic, technological, and leadership development owning to the hugely available natural resources, creative and innovative potentials of youths. Also maintaining fair relations with other countries bolsters the greatness of the country. The landmarks and monuments in Nigeria which are of historical, cultural, and geographical significance further demonstrate the ingenuity of Nigerians.
References
- Nigeria facts and figures, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Available online at http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/167.htm> Accessed August 23, 2017.
- Nigeria, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpc/doc/counprof/nigeria/nigeria.htm> Accessed August 24, 2017.
- Natural Resources in Nigeria: The Full List + Locations, Nigerian Finder. Available online at http://nigerianfinder.com/natural-resources-in-nigeria-the-full-list-locations/> Accessed August 24, 2017.
- Nigeria, Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria> Assessed August 24, 2017.
- Top African Export Countries. http://www.worldstopexports.com/top-african-export-countries/1866/> Assessed August 25, 2017.
- Nigeria Population (2017), Wordometers. Available at http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nigeria-population/> Accessed August 25, 2017.
- OEC – Nigeria (NGA) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/ner/> Accessed August 25, 2017.
Olatoyese Adesinmi
Student
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
