Capital

Gabun

name: Libreville

geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: original site settled by freed slaves and the name means "free town" in French; named in imitation of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone

Nigeria

name: Abuja

geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: Abuja is a planned capital city, it replaced Lagos in 1991; situated in the center of the country, Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja

Citizenship

Gabun

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Nigeria

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Nigeria

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Legal system

Gabun

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Nigeria

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law

Suffrage

Gabun

18 years of age; universal

Nigeria

18 years of age; universal

Area

Gabun

total: 267,667 sq km

land: 257,667 sq km

water: 10,000 sq km

Nigeria

total: 923,768 sq km

land: 910,768 sq km

water: 13,000 sq km

Land use

Gabun

agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.)

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 81% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)

Nigeria

agricultural land: 78% (2018 est.)

arable land: 37.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 7.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 9.5% (2018 est.)

other: 12.5% (2018 est.)

Location

Gabun

Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Nigeria

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Age structure

Gabun

0-14 years: 35.04% (male 424,741/female 415,342)

15-64 years: 60.76% (male 765,729/female 690,931)

65 years and over: 4.2% (2023 est.) (male 50,920/female 49,705)

Nigeria

0-14 years: 40.69% (male 47,978,838/female 45,940,446)

15-64 years: 55.95% (male 64,923,147/female 64,241,948)

65 years and over: 3.36% (2023 est.) (male 3,635,334/female 4,123,030)

Birth rate

Gabun

25.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Nigeria

34 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Gabun

5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Nigeria

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Gabun

French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Nigeria

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

Gabun

total population: 70 years (2023 est.)

male: 68.3 years

female: 71.8 years

Nigeria

total population: 61.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 59.9 years

female: 63.8 years

Major urban areas - population

Gabun

870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)

Nigeria

15.946 million Lagos, 4.348 million Kano, 3.875 million Ibadan, 3.840 million ABUJA (capital), 3.480 million Port Harcourt, 1.905 million Benin City (2023)

Median age

Gabun

total: 21.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 22.2 years

female: 21.3 years

Nigeria

total: 19.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 18.9 years

female: 19.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Gabun

19.6 years (2012 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nigeria

20.4 years (2018 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Gabun

3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Nigeria

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Gabun

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest as shown in this population distribution map

Nigeria

largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Gabun

2.39% (2023 est.)

Nigeria

2.53% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Gabun

3.26 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Nigeria

4.57 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Gabun

urban population: 91% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Nigeria

urban population: 54.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Gabun

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Nigeria

0.5% of GDP (2013)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Gabun

-1.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Nigeria

-1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Gabun

3.2% (2021 est.)

Nigeria

-0.47% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Gabun

718,400 (2021 est.)

Nigeria

65.116 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Gabun

33.4% (2017 est.)

Nigeria

40.1% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Gabun

22.26% (2021 est.)

21.97% (2020 est.)

20.74% (2019 est.)

Nigeria

9.79% (2021 est.)

9.71% (2020 est.)

8.53% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Gabun

62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Nigeria

21.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

19.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Gabun

1.18% (2020 est.)

2.46% (2019 est.)

4.75% (2018 est.)

Nigeria

16.95% (2021 est.)

13.25% (2020 est.)

11.4% (2019 est.)

Exports

Gabun

$10.8 billion (2019 est.)

$9.533 billion (2018 est.)

$9.145 billion (2017 est.)

Nigeria

$50.856 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$39.937 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$69.927 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Gabun

China 63%, Singapore 5% (2019)

Nigeria

India 16%, Spain 12%, United States 6%, France 6%, China 5% (2021)

Imports

Gabun

$5.02 billion (2019 est.)

$4.722 billion (2018 est.)

$4.749 billion (2017 est.)

Nigeria

$66.107 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$72.178 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$100.82 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Gabun

France 22%, China 17%, Belgium 6%, United States 6%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)

Nigeria

China 36%, India 8%, Netherlands 7%, United States 7%, Belgium 4% (2021)

Airports

Gabun

44 (2021)

Nigeria

54 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Gabun

total: 44,607 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Nigeria

total: 65,313 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.03 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Gabun

total: 1.656 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 72% (2021 est.)

Nigeria

total: 115.5 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 55% (2021 est.)

Railways

Gabun

total: 649 km (2014)

standard gauge: 649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Nigeria

total: 3,798 km (2014)

standard gauge: 293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

note: as of the end of 2018, there were only six operational locomotives in Nigeria primarily used for passenger service; the majority of the rail lines are in a severe state of disrepair and need to be replaced

Roadways

Gabun

total: 14,300 km (2001)

paved: 900 km (2001)

unpaved: 13,400 km (2001)

Nigeria

total: 195,000 km (2017)

paved: 60,000 km (2017)

unpaved: 135,000 km (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

Gabun

total subscriptions: 31,708 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Nigeria

total subscriptions: 106,385 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

Gabun

total subscriptions: 3,144,609 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134 (2021 est.)

Nigeria

total subscriptions: 195,128,265 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Gabun

1,600 km (2010) (310 km on Ogooue River)

Nigeria

8,600 km (2011) (Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks)

Disputes - international

Gabun

dispute with Equatorial Guinea over Mbane Island and lesser islands in the Corisco Bay submitted to ICJ in 2016

Nigeria

Nigeria-Benin: none identified

Nigeria-Cameroon: Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phaseout of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; demarcation of the Bakassi Peninsula and adjoining border areas should be finalized in 2022; as Lake Chad’s evaporation exposed dry land, only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Nigeria-Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea: the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation

Nigeria-Niger: none identified