Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and
Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalami ABUBAKAR (since
9 June 1998) will remain chief of state and head of government until
29 May 1999 when President-elect Olusegun OBASANJO will be
inaugurated
head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and
Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalami ABUBAKAR (since
9 June 1998) will remain chief of state and head of government until
29 May 1999 when President-elect Olusegun OBASANJO will be
inaugurated
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: the president is elected by popular vote for no more than
two four-year terms; election last held 27 February 1999 (next
election to be held NA 2003)
election results: Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) won the election with NA%
of the vote, Olu FALAE (APP-AD) NA%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of
Senate (109 seats, three from each state and one from the Federal
Capital Territory; members elected by popular vote to serve
seven-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members
elected by popular vote to serve seven-year terms)
elections: Senate—last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA
2006); House of Representatives—last held 20-24 February 1999 (next
to be held NA 2006)
election results: Senate—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by
party—PDP 61, APP 24, AD 20, other 4; House of Representives—percent
of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PDP 206, APP 74, AD 68, others 12
note: the National Assembly was suspended by the military government
following the military takeover on 17 November 1993; the new
civilian government which was elected on 20 February 1999 is
expected to be inaugurated on 29 May 1999
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the
Provisional 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: political parties, suppressed by
the military government, were allowed to form in July 1998; three
parties were registered by the Provisional Ruling Council for
participation in local, state and national elections; All People's
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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM,
OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Wakili Hassan ADAMU
chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William H. TWADDELL
embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), white, and green
Economy
Economy—overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers have failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides 30% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. The government's resistance to initiating greater transparency and accountability in managing the country's multibillion dollar oil earnings continues to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on a staff-monitored program and 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. Growth in 1999 may become negative because of continued low oil prices and persistent inefficiencies in the system.