Decades of neglect have led to a dilapidated and unreliable infrastructure and a sharp deterioration in health, education and other public services. With a population of 120 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the third-fastest growing population in the world, after India and Pakistan. Life expectancy at birth is only 54 years for women and 52 for men, and over one third of Nigerians will not live to 40 years of age. At this rate, Nigeria's population will double to 240 million in 25 years. Nigeria is rapidly becoming the epicenter in West Africa for the AIDS pandemic.
Schools lack basic infrastructure and supplies, and teachers are under-trained.
Nigerians clearly do not want a return to the depredations of military rule, but they must see concrete results on many fronts soon or their faith in the benefits of democratic government may quickly wane. As a result of the return to democracy, many donors have resumed or increased their assistance programs to Nigeria. National Geographic Country Maps State Dept. Visit our contact page to find the appropriate resource.