Nigeria

Nigeria is a country in equatorial West Africa. It is the continent's most populous nation. It has a southern coastline on the Gulf of Guinea, and has Benin to the west, Cameroon to the southeast, Chad to the northeast, and Niger to the north. It is the largest oil producer and second largest economy in Africa.

Administrative divisions: 36 states and 1 territory;

Abia, Abuja Federal Capital Territory, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta (Nigeria) Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos (state) Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger (Nigeria) Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

By plane

International airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt.

Nigerian Airlines; Virgin Nigeria and Bellview Airlines make local and international flights (to other African countries and London ), Arik and Aero to others African countries.

Several European airlines fly to Nigeria: British Airways (London Heathrow-Abuja, Lagos), Virgin Atlantic (London Heathrow-Lagos), KLM ( Amsterdam-Abuja, Lagos, Kano), Air France ( Paris-Charles de Gaulle-Lagos), Alitalia ( Milan-Malpensa-Abuja, Lagos), Turkish Airline ( Istanbul-Lagos), Lufthansa ( Frankfurt-Abuja, Lagos), Iberia Airlines ( Madrid-Lagos)

Airline from the United States; North American Airlines ( Baltimore /Washington, New York-JFK-Lagos), Delta Air Lines ( Atlanta-Lagos from 3-Dec-07)

Other inter-continental airlines fly to Lagos. They include: China Southern Airlines ( Beijing, Dubai ), Emirates (Dubai), Middle East Airlines ( Beirut ), Qatar Airways ( Doha ).

There are african companies: Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Abbeba, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, Afriqya from Tripoli, Hewa Bora from Kinshasa.

Besides these, there are other airlines (in addition to VNA and Bellview) that operate domestic and regional flights to places like Abidjan, Accra, Banjul, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Freetown, Johannesburg, Libreville, Monrovia.

Currently Port Harcourt international is closed for rehabilitation works.There are also airports in most states of the federation and local air travel is widespread.

By train

Most of the trains in Nigeria are for transporting cargo.The new president, Yar'adua, however, says that he plans to invest and aggressively pursue a nationwide train network which should be ready by 2011.At the moment it is not advisable to travel on train especially if you are foreign national.

By bus

Getting around is relatively easy, except that there could be delays due to traffic jams within most major cities. There are multitudes of coaches and buses that will take you to any part of Nigeria you wish (ABC Transport Services is well known for its services among others). Lagos state government also operates a transit system (BRT buses) which serves the Lagos metropolis.

By boat

Transport by boat isn't widespread unless you venture into the riverine areas of Nigeria.

It would be best to travel around in your own car or a hired one but there are various other modes of transport. The okada (motorcycle) is not for the faint-hearted (no helmets) and should only be used for short distance journeys. Okadas will get you to where you want to go quickly and you will get there in one piece. In Lagos, there are lots of buses and taxis. There are two main types of buses, the molue and the danfo. Most smaller cities have more taxis than buses, and they are quite affordable. For travelling from one city to another, you go to the motor park, find the taxi that's going to your destination, and wait until it fills up. The price is fixed, you don't have to negotiate. Some drivers may have a risky driving style however.

By car

Lots of aggressive street sellers surround the car when you get to crossroads. You shouldn't have a problem if you keep the windows and doors locked however.

The Niger delta area is unsafe for tourists. There have been several kidnappings of foreign oil workers.

Be aware of street salesmen. Actually, you could buy a lot of stuff while you drive your car but is not recommended, and most of the merchandise are Chinese copies of known brands like Duracell batteries and such.

As in all countries in Africa, the risk of infection of AIDS/HIV is high. Do not risk unprotected sex with strangers and even the person you think you know. Travellers to Nigeria are also required to vaccinate themselves against yellow fever, preferably 10 days before arrival in Nigeria. As malaria is prevalent, malaria pills are also recommended. Polio vaccination in Nigeria is intermittent and there is currently a high rate of infection in the north of the country.

Swan water is the safe drinking water to look for approx 80 naira for a big bottle. The cheap pure water sold in plastic bags is cheaper but not as pure as SWAN. EVA water a brand by Coca Cola Company is also recommended.

It is advisable to purchase bottled water from convenience stores rather than by the road side. These upscale convenience stores usually purchase their supplies directly from the suppliers, along with soft drinks such as Coca Cola and other bottled beverage products.

Nigeria is a former United Kingdom British colony and a member of the British Commonwealth.

Independence : 1 October 1960 (from Great Britain) National holiday : Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)

On 12 December 1991, the capital was officially transferred from Lagos to Abuja; most federal government offices have now made the move to Abuja.

Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in May 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the Yar'adua administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.