Country explorer: Nigeria

Nigeria has experienced notable economic growth and development challenges, reflected by a steady increase in GDP per capita amidst persistently high rates of poverty and unemployment, distinguishing it from its African peers with its significant economic potential countered by widespread socio-economic disparities.

Nigeria has experienced significant demographic changes, characterized by a rapidly growing population, fluctuating net migration, persistently high fertility rates despite a global decline, and gradual improvements in life expectancy, reflecting common patterns among lower-middle-income countries yet distinct in its scale and pace of change.

Nigeria has experienced gradual improvements in access to clean fuels for cooking, electricity, and safely managed drinking water and sanitation facilities, yet its growth pace remains significantly lower compared to peers like Egypt and South Africa, highlighting a distinctive challenge in meeting basic needs for its rapidly growing population.

Nigeria has shown a gradual improvement in human development indicators such as the Human Development Index, reduced child mortality rate, and increased literacy rate, reflecting slow yet positive societal transformations in education, health, and living standards, which is consistent with trends seen in other lower-middle-income countries though with unique challenges and progress rates.

In the past two decades, Nigeria has encountered significant environmental challenges, demonstrated by its rising per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change and increasing pressure on renewable freshwater resources per capita, amidst a stark decline in forest area, aligning with regional trends observed in lower-middle-income countries, yet experiencing a unique struggle with fluctuating electricity production from varying sources, reflecting broader energy transition issues.

Nigeria has seen a significant surge in technology adoption and innovation indices, such as internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, and scientific output, reflecting a broader societal embrace of digital transformation akin to its developing country peers, yet distinct in its rapid mobile communication growth.

Nigeria has seen modest changes in its population's foreign-born percentage, marked improvements in self-reported life satisfaction, persistent gender inequality, and a high yet decreasing age dependency ratio, reflecting societal shifts towards better well-being amidst ongoing challenges in gender equality and demographic pressures, characteristics which align it closely with trends observed in lower-middle-income countries.

Nigeria has witnessed significant fluctuations in governance indicators, reflecting challenges in rule of law, corruption perceptions, political civil liberties, and press freedom, akin to trends observed in several lower-middle-income countries, yet with distinct dynamics in its progression towards improving or deteriorating governance quality.