Nigeria has a diverse ethnic and religious composition. The most populated country in Africa and the seventh most populated in the world, Nigeria has an estimated 187 million people as of 2016. The economy rests primarily on crude oil, discovered in the mid-20th century. According to the World Fact Book, published by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Nigeria is the 12th largest producer of crude oil in the world. Agriculture also contributed to the country’s economy long before the discovery of oil.

Organized tourism to Nigeria began in 1962, although the history of tourism in the country dates back to the colonial period when foreign scientists discovered ancient terra-cotta from the Nok culture. Tourist destinations in the country, as itemized by the nation’s tourism regulatory agency, ...