Subjects/Social Studies/Nigeria: Our Country
Social StudiesGeography: Maps and Nigeria

Nigeria: Our Country

Geography and regions of Nigeria

15 min

Learning Objective

Describe Nigeria's location, regions, and geographic features

About Nigeria

  • Location: West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea
  • Capital: Abuja
  • Largest city: Lagos
  • Population: Over 200 million people
  • Languages: English (official), plus Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and many more

Geographic Features

  • Niger River: Third longest river in Africa
  • Benue River: Major tributary of the Niger
  • Lake Chad: In the northeast
  • Jos Plateau: Highland region in the center

Regions

  • North: Savanna, drier climate
  • South: Rainforest, wetter climate
  • Niger Delta: Oil-rich coastal region

36 States + FCT

Nigeria is divided into 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).