Nigeria is an African country with positive health traditions, as well as health challenges that can be met with health communication theory and practice. The following sections review the uniqueness of Africa's most populous country, describes its positive health traditions, discusses some health issues and challenges, and considers health communication theory and practice as exceptionally capable of responding to these challenges.

Nigeria is a new and functioning democracy that is rich in natural resources and is recognized as having an educational system that has produced world-class talents. Also rich in cultures, Nigeria is home to 250 ethnic groups and three major languages (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba); efforts have been made to draw on the nation's cultural strengths, for example, in the development of one language (WAZOBIA) ...