Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigeria: official statistics and sources

14 official bodies for Nigeria, from National Bureau of Statistics to Bureau of Public Procurement, with key figures from the World Bank and IMF. Official language: English. Capital: Abuja.

Who holds power in Nigeria

• Head of state: Bola Ahmed Tinubu (President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria)
• Head of government: The head of state leads the government (no prime minister listed)
• Foreign minister: Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu (Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria)

Source: UN Protocol and Liaison Service list, dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.

Federal presidential republic. How local power works in Nigeria: 4 tiers of government below the nation, who is elected and who they answer to.

Part of level 6 of the 10 levels of power.

Government, regions and cities

• Government and power in Nigeria: leaders, governance scores, women in parliament, spending and the bodies that hold power to account
• All 37 states: Kano, Lagos, Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi…

Key figures

What the figures show

The World Bank puts Nigeria's population at 237.5 million in 2025, up from 190.7 million in 2015. No other UN member in the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region has more people; worldwide it ranks 6th of 193.

GDP for 2025 was $290.8 billion at current dollar prices, according to the World Bank. That works out at $1,224 a head; the regional median is $1,351.

Real GDP grew by 4.0% in 2025, World Bank figures show. For 2026 the IMF expects 4.2%.

Across 2025 the annual rate was 23.0%. The IMF forecasts 15.6% for 2026.

The ILO's modelled unemployment rate for 2025 is 3.1%; the national statistics office may publish a different figure from its own survey.

The IMF records general government gross debt of 36.1% of GDP for 2025, compared with a median of 53.1% across the World Bank's Sub-Saharan Africa region; its 2026 projection is 34.6%.

Life expectancy at birth: 54.6 years (2024).

• Annual inflation since 2015: highest 33.2% (2024), lowest 9.0% (2015).
• Debt ratio 2015: 14.9%; 2025: 36.1%.
• GDP per person in dollars, 2015 to 2025: minus 53%.

Figures checked 2026-10-13; how they are compiled.

Official sources in Nigeria

Statistics office prices, jobs, people, output

• National Bureau of Statistics
  Inflation, GDP, labour force and foreign-trade reports for Nigeria.

Central bank interest rates and money

• Central Bank of Nigeria
  Monetary Policy Rate decisions, exchange rates, statistical bulletins and banking circulars.

Parliament debates, votes, bills

• National Assembly of Nigeria
  Bills, members and proceedings of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Government

• State House Nigeria
  Presidential statements, speeches and press releases.

Laws and the official gazette the text of laws

• Federal Ministry of Justice
  Laws of the Federation and official publications of the Attorney-General's ministry.

Courts judgments

• Supreme Court of Nigeria
  Information on the court, its justices and judgments.

Elections results and rules

• Independent National Electoral Commission
  Election timetables, results, voter registration figures and party information.

Regulators

• Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria
  Capital-market rules, registrations and enforcement notices.
• Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
  Merger notices, competition and consumer protection decisions and guidelines.
• Nigeria Data Protection Commission
  Data-protection regulations, guidance and enforcement information.
• Nigerian Communications Commission
  Telecom regulations, licences and subscriber statistics.
• Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission
  Electricity tariff orders, regulations and industry performance reports.

Public registers companies, land, charities

• Corporate Affairs Commission
  Registered companies, business names and incorporated trustees (associations and NGOs), with a public search. Data.

Public contracts government tenders and awards

• Bureau of Public Procurement
  Federal procurement procedures, tender notices, certificates of no objection and the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal.

What Nigeria does not have

• No national land register: land is administered by each state government.
• No separate charity register: incorporated trustees are registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
• No information commissioner: the FOI Act is enforced through the courts.
• Asset declarations are filed with the Code of Conduct Bureau but are not published.
• No register of lobbyists exists.
• No state-run case law database could be found.

Also: World Bank country data · IMF country page · UN Sustainable Development Goals country profile · IPU Parline parliament profile.

Nigeria by subject

• Economy GDP, growth, trade and investment
• Jobs and pay unemployment, jobs and work
• Cost of living inflation, poverty and inequality
• Public finances debt, deficit, tax and spending
• Health and care life expectancy, doctors and spending
• Housing homes, cities, water and power
• Crime and justice murder rate, courts and crime
• Immigration migrants, refugees and remittances
• Education schools, universities and literacy
• Environment emissions, air, forests and water

Questions people ask about Nigeria

• What is the population of Nigeria?
• What is the inflation rate in Nigeria?
• What is Nigeria's GDP and growth rate?
• What is the naira to dollar exchange rate today?
• What is the interest rate in Nigeria?
• What is Nigeria's GDP per capita?
• What is the unemployment rate in Nigeria?
• What is the minimum wage in Nigeria?

All 15 questions answered

Guides to Nigeria's main sources

• National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Nigeria
  How to use the National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria for CPI inflation, GDP, labour force, poverty and trade figures, with its e-library and open data.
• Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
  Use the Central Bank of Nigeria for the Monetary Policy Rate, the official NFEM naira exchange rate, money market rates and the statistical bulletin.
• Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
  How to find official Nigerian election results, polling-unit result sheets on IReV, and voter registration data from INEC.
• Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
  How to search Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission register for companies and business names, and what the record shows.

Common questions

What is the population of Nigeria?

237.5 million (2025, World Bank). National figures: National Bureau of Statistics.

What is the inflation rate in Nigeria?

23.0% (2025, World Bank). Official index: National Bureau of Statistics.

What is Nigeria's GDP?

$290.8 billion (2025, World Bank).

How much government debt does Nigeria have?

36.1% of GDP (2025, International Monetary Fund).

Who publishes official statistics in Nigeria?

National Bureau of Statistics: https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/

What is the central bank of Nigeria?

Central Bank of Nigeria: https://www.cbn.gov.ng/

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