Nigeria - Facts for Kids

In 1996, Nigeria won its first Olympic gold medal in football when the men’s team beat Argentina 3‑2 in the final!

The Ancient Kano City Walls (in Kano, Nigeria) began construction between about 1095‑1134 CE, but much of the original wall is no longer standing today.

Surame was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kebbi in north‑west Nigeria during the 15th‑16th centuries, but the people moved away around 1700 and it’s now an impressive ruined city with old stone walls and gates!

The first university in Nigeria, University of Ibadan, opened in 1948!

Funmilayo Ransome‑Kuti was a powerful civil‑rights leader in Nigeria and is known for being the first Nigerian women to drive a car.

Modern Life & Technology

Lagos is Nigeria’s biggest city — it’s home to around 17 million people!

Nigeria has the largest film industry in Africa, called Nollywood!

The Nike Art Gallery in Lagos is inside a five‑floor building that’s packed with amazing Nigerian artwork!

In Lagos, Nigeria, children in the coastal water‑community of Makoko once went to a floating school on the lagoon that bobbed on barrels and was reached by canoe!

Nigeria launched its first satellite, NigeriaSat‑1, into space on 27 September 2003!

Nature & Wildlife

Nigeria has at least 7 national parks where you can see elephants and many kinds of birds — and some parks include lions too!

The Nigeria‑Cameroon chimpanzee lives only in forest patches of Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon and is one of the world’s rarest chimpanzees!

The harmattan is a dry, dusty wind that blows from the Sahara Desert into Nigeria every year!

Nigeria’s mangrove swamps are home to rare manatees that locals call “sea cows”!

The yellow‑casqued hornbill has a helmet‑like bump on its head and lives in West Africa’s forests, including parts of Nigeria!

Gurara Waterfalls in Nigeria drops about 30 metres (~98 feet).

Nigeria’s forests are home to butterflies that can have wingspans as wide as your hand!

The Nigerian Dwarf Goat is a small, friendly‑goat breed originally from West Africa that many people keep as a pet around the world!

Nigeria has crocodiles living in rivers, swamps and forests all over the country!

Cities & Places

Every December the city of Calabar hosts the Calabar Carnival — a colourful parade across the streets of Nigeria’s Cross River State that’s called ‘Africa’s biggest street party’!

Abeokuta means ‘under the rock’ — because the city was built around and under Olumo Rock!

The old city walls of Zaria stretch for about 14–24 kilometres around the ancient town!

Port Harcourt is known as Nigeria’s “Garden City” because of its many beautiful parks!

The city of Jos is so high up that it’s always cool, even when other parts of Nigeria are hot!

At the time of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Ibadan was the country’s largest city, and it was also once among the biggest in tropical Africa!

Enugu is called the “Coal City” because coal was found there and mining began early in the 1900s!

In the Kaduna region of Nigeria, traditional potters shape clay into beautiful pots, especially in communities like Fai in Kaduna State.

Sokoto was a major city of Islamic learning and once the capital of the great Sokoto Caliphate in West Africa!

State Origin

Abia State in Nigeria got its name from four of its major groups – Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo – by taking the first letters of each name to create “ABIA”!

Adamawa State in Nigeria was named after a 19th-century warrior and leader named Modibbo Adama, who founded the Adamawa Emirate in the region!

Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria got its name from the Kwa Iboe River (also spelled ‘Qua Iboe’) that flows through it, and “Akwa” means “great” in the local language!

Anambra State in Nigeria is named after the Anambra River (originally called Omambala River), which flows through the region.

Bauchi State in Nigeria is named after a hunter called Baushe, who settled there before the city was founded!

Bayelsa State in Nigeria’s name comes from combining parts of three local government areas — Brass (BA), Yenagoa (YEL), and Sagbama (SA)!

Benue State in Nigeria is named after the Benue River, whose name comes from the Batta word “Binuwe” meaning “Mother of Waters”!

Borno State in Nigeria got its name from the ancient Borno Empire that ruled the region for over 1,000 years and was one of Africa’s longest-lasting kingdoms!

Cross River State in Nigeria is named after the Cross River, the big river that flows through it.

Delta State in Nigeria got its name because it sits in the Niger Delta, where the mighty Niger River splits into many smaller rivers before flowing into the ocean!

Ebonyi State in Nigeria is named after the Ebonyi River that flows through the region.

Edo State in Nigeria was named after the ancient Edo people, who built the great Kingdom of Benin and its massive earth‑walls!

Ekiti State in Nigeria got its name from “okiti,” which means “hills” in Yoruba, because the state has many beautiful hills and rocky landscapes!

Enugu State in Nigeria’s name comes from “Enu Ugwu,” which means “top of the hill” in Igbo, because the city was built on top of a coal-rich hill!

Gombe State in Nigeria was named after the word “Gombe,” which means “go and grab” in the Fulani language, referring to warriors who would raid and conquer new territories!

Imo State in Nigeria is named after the Imo River, which flows through the region!

Jigawa State in Nigeria was named after a large rocky outcrop called “Jigawar Tsada,” which means “white rock” in Hausa!

Kaduna State in Nigeria is named after the Kaduna River — and in the Hausa language, kada means crocodile, so the name means “place of crocodiles”!

Kano State in Nigeria got its name from Bagauda, who was the grandson of the legendary hero Bayajidda and founded the city in 999 AD.

Katsina State in Nigeria was named after a princess of the old city of Katsina — a royal figure in Hausa history!

Kebbi State in Nigeria gets its name from the old Kingdom of Kebbi

Kogi State in Nigeria got its name from the Hausa word kogi, meaning “river”, because the two big rivers — the Niger River and the Benue River — meet in the state.