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Capital: Abuja
note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from
Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending
completion of facilities in Abuja

Administrative divisions: 30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja
Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue,
Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano,
Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo,
Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe; note - some new
administrative units may have been created

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Constitution: 1979 constitution still in force; plan for 1989
constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented

Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal
law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the Provisional
Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces and Defense
Minister Gen. Sani ABACHA (since 17 November 1993); Vice Chairman of
the Provisional Ruling Council Oladipo DIYA (since 17 November 1993)
cabinet: Federal Executive Council

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
Senate: suspended after military takeover of 17 November 1993
House of Representatives: suspended after military takeover of 17
November 1993

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 2