Nigeria

Nigeria is located in west Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin. It is the most populous nation on the continent and home to one in four Africans. It is a beautiful land with tremendous biodiversity, not to mention a rich heritage and culture, but its promise is undermined by corruption, inequality, poverty, and disease.

The current population is around 131.9 million, growing at 2.38 percent. Most of this is through natural increase, with 40.43 births per 1,000 people, 16.94 deaths per 1,000 people, and 0.27 migrants per 1,000 people. Almost half of the population lives in urban areas, and population density is high at 132 people per square kilometer.

Nigeria is an important producer and exporter of petroleum and natural gas. However, crumbling infrastructure, mismanagement, corruption, and internal violence have kept the country and its people from enjoying the financial benefits from the industry. Per capita income in Nigeria is $390 annually, with 70 percent of the population living on less than $1 a day.

Life expectancy at birth is 47.5 year for males and 47.7 years for females, with healthy life expectancy at 41.3 years for men and 41.8 years for women. Infant mortality is 120 deaths per 1,000 births. Child mortality (ages 1 to 5) is 197 deaths per 1,000 children. Maternal mortality is 800 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Many children who survive those early years still face difficult lives. About 15 million children are believed to be in the workforce. Seven million children have lost one or both parents to disease or violence. Nigeria is deeply involved in child trafficking, moving young people both in and out of the country.

Infectious disease is the main killer of Nigerians. Lassa fever is endemic in many areas, as is diarrhea, hepatitis A, malaria, meningitis, onchocerciasis (river [Page 1242]blindness), typhoid, schistosomiasis, and elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis). Tuberculosis rates have risen as the AIDS epidemic has deepened. Recent years have also seen outbreaks of cholera, meningitis, and yellow fever. Few Nigerians have reliable access to clean water and only 38 percent have access to sanitary facilities. Nigeria does not have the highest AIDS rate in the world, but its sheer size gives it one of the largest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive populations. Exactly how large that population is unclear; estimates of prevalence range from 5.4 to 8 percent of the total population, with 3.6 to 5.4 million infections. In 2000, the government established the National Action Committee on AIDS to coordinate education and prevention programs.

In 2005, the World Health Organization estimated that 636,000 Nigerians needed antiretroviral drugs; only 31,694 were receiving them. At an annual cost of $368 per person, the cost of drug therapy is prohibitive for many patients. The government has announced that the country will start producing cheaper generic antiretroviral drugs for AIDS patients.

The medical establishment in Nigeria is large and diverse, but it does not begin to meet the needs of the population. The government allocates less than $20 per person on healthcare each year. The wealthy simply leave the country for specialized treatment; everyone else is forced to make do with what is available. Equipment is outdated and poorly distributed outside the cities. The market is flooded with counterfeit drugs.

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