7 reasons why you should be proud to be Nigerian

1. It’s the “Giant of Africa”

With a population of 180 million, Nigeria is Africa’s largest country by number of inhabitants. Since 2014 it can now proudly boast that it is also Africa’s largest economy, a spot that was previously held by South Africa.

2. Ethnic diversity

It is home to over 250 ethnic groups and over 500 languages. Where else in the world will you find this?

3. Abundance of natural resources

It’s Africa’s largest oil producer, pumping over 2.4 million barrels of oil per day. In addition to this it has a wide array of underexploited mineral resources which include natural gas, coal, bauxite, tantalite, gold, tin, iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead and zinc.

4. A great football team

The “Super Eagles” have made the World Cup on 4 occasions – in 1994, 1998, 2002, and in 2010. They won the African Cup of Nations in 1980, 1994, and 2013. They won the gold medal for football in the 1996 Summer Olympics (in which they beat Argentina) becoming the first African football team to win gold in Olympic Football.

5. It’s home to internationally acclaimed writers

Nigeria’s best-known writers include Wole Soyinka, the first African Nobel Laureate in Literature, Chinua Achebe, ben Okri, John Pepper Clark, Cyprian Ekwensi, Buchi Emecheta, Helon Habila, T. M. Aluko, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and many others.