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
- history: several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999,
- effective 29 May 1999 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of both houses and approval by the Houses of Assembly of at least two thirds of the states; amendments to constitutional articles on the creation of a new state, fundamental constitutional rights, or constitution-amending procedures requires at least four-fifths majority vote by both houses of the National Assembly and approval by the Houses of Assembly in at least two thirds of the states; passage of amendments limited to the creation of a new state require at least two-thirds majority vote by the proposing National Assembly house and approval by the Houses of Assembly in two thirds of the states; amended several times, last in 2018
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023); Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023); note - the president is chief of state, head of government,
- and commander-in-chief of the armed forces head of government: President Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (since 29 May 2023);
- Vice President Kashim SHETTIMA (since 29 May 2023) cabinet: Federal Executive Council appointed by the president but constrained constitutionally to include at least
- one member from each of the 36 states elections/appointments: president directly elected by qualified majority popular vote and at least 25% of the votes cast in 24 of Nigeria's 36 states; president elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 Februar
- y 2023 (next to be held on 27 February 2027) election results: 2023: Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU elected president; percent of vote - Bola Ahmed Adekunle TINUBU (APC) 36.6%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 29.1%, Peter OBI (LP) 25.4%, Rabiu KWANKWASO (NNPP) 6.4%, other 2.5% 2019: Muhammadu BUHARI elected president; percent of vote - Muhammadu BUHARI (APC) 53%, Atiku ABUBAKAR (PDP) 39%, other 8%
- Legislative Branch:
Description
bicameral National Assembly consists of: Senate (109 seats - 3 each for the 36 states and 1 for Abuja-Federal Capital Territory; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) House of Representatives (360 seats statutory, 258 current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections
- Senate - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027) House of Representatives - last held on 25 February 2023 (next to be held on 25 February 2027)
Election Results
- - Senate - percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - APC 59, PDP 36, LP 8, NNPP 2, SDP 2, YPP 1, APGA 1;
Composition
- men 106, women 3, percent of women 2.8% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - APC 178, PDP 114, LP 35, NNPP 19, APGA 5, other 7, vacant 2;
Composition
men 344, women 14, percent of women 3.8%;
Note
total National Assembly percent of women 3.6%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chie
- f justice and 15 justices) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate;
- judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system
- Regions or States:
Summary
36 states
Regions or States
- and 1 territory*
- Abia
- Adamawa
- Akwa Ibom
- Anambra
- Bauchi
- Bayelsa
- Benue
- Borno
- Cross River
- Delta
- Ebonyi
- Edo
- Ekiti
- Enugu
- Federal Capital Territory*
- Gombe
- Imo
- Jigawa
- Kaduna
- Kano
- Katsina
- Kebbi
- Kogi
- Kwara
- Lagos
- Nasarawa
- Niger
- Ogun
- Ondo
- Osun
- Oyo
- Plateau
- Rivers
- Sokoto
- Taraba
- Yobe
- Zamfara
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Accord Party or ACC [Christopher IMUMOLEN]
- Africa Democratic Congress or ADC [Dumebi KACHIKWU]
- All Progressives Congress or APC [Bola Ahmed TINUBU]
- All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Peter UMEADI]
- Labor Party or LP [Peter OBI]
- New Nigeria People’s Party or NNPP [Rabiu KWANKWASO]
- Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Atiku ABUBAKAR]
- Young Progressive Party or YPP [Prince Malik ADO-IBRAHIM]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one pa
- yes residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years
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:
ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINURSO, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires ad interim David GREENE (since 31 March 2023) embassy: Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja mailing address: 8320 Abuja Place, Washington DC 20521-8320
telephone
[234] (9) 461-4000
FAX
[234] (9) 461-4036
Email address and website
- AbujaACS@state.gov
- https://ng.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general
Lagos
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Mobolaji Sakirat OGUNDERO (since 1 November 2023)
chancery
3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 800-7201 (ext. 100)
FAX
[1] (202) 362-6541
Email address and website
- info@nigeriaembassyusa.org
- https://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/
consulate(s) general
Atlanta, New York