1. Nigeria was Formed in 1914
The land that is Nigeria today was made in 1914 when colonial authorities brought together the Northern and the Southern Protectorates of Nigeria to form the amalgamated Protectorate and Colony of Nigeria. The merge brought forth over 400 ethnic groups and tribes into what was at that time the largest British Colony in the world. Nigeria’s name is derived from colonial success.
2. Nigeria gained independence from colonial rule in 1960
Nigeria received its independence from the British empire in 1960, originally taking in a British style of government with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the first Nigerian head of government (the prime minister). The country at the time had a population of over 45 million + people.
3. Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy in 2013/14
Back in the April of 2014, the statistics bureau of Nigeria actually confirmed the rebasing of the Nigerian economy’s gross domestic product (GDP) to $509.9 billion. Which made it beat South Africa’s nominal GDP of $322 billion.
4. The Nigerian Oil Boom started in the 1970s.
The amount of profit Nigeria got from oil was so prominent in the 1970s, when it became the wealthiest country in Africa. Within the 2 years, the states profit increased by over 50% with an all-time high of N5.3 billion in 1976. The founding of oil is widely believed to have influenced the civil war.
5. The World’s 2nd largest film industry and the pioneer of Afrobeats
Nigeria’s film industry “Nollywood” is the 2nd largest film industry in the world. It also continues maintaining status with its music industry, which played a major role in defining Africa’s music scene as well as influencing contemporary world music. Some artist like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage are helping take Afrobeats far beyond what it is currently