Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Armed
Forces Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed
by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial
Committee
Political parties and leaders: note: political party system suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993; the military regime has made successive promises to allow political parties to register at various times in 1996
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C
(suspended), CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OPEC,
PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMIR, UNAVEM III, UNCRO,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Zubair Mahmud KAZAURE chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Walter C. CARRINGTON embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos telephone: [234] (1) 261-0097 FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
green
Economy ———-
Economic overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides almost all foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Regime officials also appear divided on how to redress fundamental economic imbalances that result in troublesome inflation, the steady depreciation of the naira, and the discouragement of investors. The government's domestic and international arrears continue to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $135.9 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.6% (1995 est.)