Government & politics — Nigeria
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Nigeria: Federal Republic of Nigeria
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Country Name
Nigeria
- Etymology- history of name
named for the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"
- Independence
1 October 1960 (from the UK)
- National Holiday
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Political system
- Government Type
federal presidential republic
- Constitution
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
- Executive Branch:
- Legislative Branch:
- Judicial Branch:
- Regions or States:
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Abuja
- Capital - geographic coordinate
9 05 N, 7 32 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
- International Law Organization Participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
