Photo: FlickrO Oluniyi Ajao
FIFA 2014 World Cup Ranking: 44th
Star Player: John Michael Nchekwube Obinna
The 27-year-old John Michael Nchekwube Obinna started his football career as young as 12 when he was picked from over 3000 young talents. From then, his career has gone from strength to strength. He played in the Under-17 World Championships, the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations - which Nigeria won - the FIFA Confederations Cup, and is currently contracted to Chelsea in the English Premier League. He is known for his agility, high technical skill and ferocious speed.
COUNTRY STATS
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $316.035 billion
GDP per capita (PPP): $2,997
Government Structure: Federal Republic
Maternal mortality rate: 630 deaths per 100,000 live births, (world ranking: 11)
Percentage of girls in school: 82% (primary school)
Corruption index: 144
Religious demographics: Islam: 50%, Christianity: 40% Traditional Beliefs: 10%
Education:
87% attendance rate for school age children, ages 6-14
Average school years completed: 9.0
Hours/day in class: 3
Educational quality suffers from untrained teachers and a lack of government expenditure
Health:
Access to clean drinking water: 61%
Use of Improved Sanitation Facilities: 30%
HIV prevalence rate: 2.0%
Development:
There has been a sharp decline in polio cases in Nigeria. The total number of new cases so far in 2014 is 3, down from 53 in 2013. As one of the 3 remaining countries where polio remains endemic, this is a big step in the right direction.
As one of the most resource rich countries, Nigeria has long suffered from the 'resource curse', meaning its resource rich, but developmentally poor. On the Human Development Index, Nigeria is ranged as the 153rd, and still has much to do, including its health system, and closing the gap in economic inequality between the urban and poor populations.