The name of my country is Nigeria, this name was given to the region by Florence Shaw the wife to Lord Lugard the first Luitenant Governor General during the colonial era by the British Empire. My country is located in West Africa, it has a land mass of 923,768km and it is bordered to the North by Niger, to the east by Chad and Cameroon, to the South by the Gulf of Guinea and to the west by Benin.

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She comprises of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Nigeria has more than 300 ethnic groups with Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo being the three major ethnic group, my country has a diverse geography as well with climates ranging from arid to humid.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and she practices a democratic system of government. I love my country for so many reasons but for the sake of this contest, I will write in details three reasons why I like my country.

Fun Facts about Nigeria you did not know about

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1. Nigeria is a multi lingual country and makes up 7% of the total languages spoken on earth.

2. Nigeria is one of the largest film producers in the world.

3. Nigeria gained independence on 1st October 1960 but is still part of the common wealth.

4. The Indigo bird is found nowhere else on the planet but Plateau State, Nigeria.

5. Nigeria is an abode to 4715 different plant species and more than 550 species of breeding birds and mammals.

6. The Yoruba tribe has the highest rate of twin births in the world. Igbo-ora is known as the twin Capital of the world.

Three Reasons why I like my country

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The Diverse nature of my country

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Nigeria is a very diverse country this is because there are more than 300 ethnic groups in this great nation, each of this ethnic group speak their own language, have their own local delicacies, mode of dressing, tradition and culture which makes us different and unique in our own way.

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However despite our differences we have found away to unite and work for a common goal. The diverse nature of Nigeria is a proof that people who are totally different can live together in unity and harmony despite their differences, this is even make the country more exciting because their is always something new to discover, learn and experience. This diversity also extends to our geography

Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa

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For the past 30 years Nigeria has been the biggest economy in Africa with a total GDP of $432.3billion. All thanks to our fast expanding financial sector and our role as one of the leaders in petroleum export in the whole world. In 2018 our GDP grew to ten percent from one percent in 2001.

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Also our country has become a tech hub spot with Lagos State leading this growth. Flutter wave inc a Nigeria tech company is the most valuable tech company in Africa worth $3billion dollars. All these makes our economy a big force to reckon with in Africa and in the whole world.

Nigeria has an abundance of Natural Resources

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My country Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of resources. She is known for her large hydrocarbon wealth and thus one of the biggest exporters of petroleum and natural gas. In 2015 Nigeria had an oil reserve of 37.1bn barrels and also 5.1trn Metres of Natural Gas. My country is also an abode to large deposits of coal, iron ore, lead, limestone, tin, zinc etc. Our lands are rich and fertile with abundance of water resources making agriculture productive.

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My country has a total of 230bn cu metres of renewable water resources thus increasing irrigation efficiency. Indeed my country Nigeria is blessed.

Now despite the glorious nature of my country and just like every other nation there are shortcomings which requires change to make our nation better than it is.

Three changes I would like to see in my country Nigeria

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Improvement in Security Matters

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My country in recent years faced overwhelming insecurity challenges which has led to destruction of lifes and properties and has driven away both local and foreign Investors. This insecurity issues has displaced millions of people from their communities and even their state. We have the Boko Haram terrorist, Bandits, ISWAP terrorist and herdsmen clash causing destruction all over the country. It seems like the situation is proving too difficult for the government to handle.

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The government however needs to step up this fight against terrorism, they should stop releasing terrorist into the society claiming they are rehabilitated, negotiations with bandits and terrorist should be brought to an end so they can face the full might of our military and our laws.

Improvement in the Academic Sector

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In the Nigeria our educational sector especially the universities and institutions of higher learning is nothing to write home about. They are poorly funded making learning very difficult. Facilities are left to rot due to poor maintenance, lecturers and teachers engage in strike actions for their salaries to be paid which in turn weakens our institutions.

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I will like the government to allocate more funds for the educational sector so that we can measure up to international standard, education is the greatest tool any society can possess and this is why positive change in this sector is a must.

Improvement in the Energy Sector

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Ever since Nigeria was created, my country has never experienced uninterrupted power supply despite the fact we have all it takes to attain this. Black outs are common occurrence in most places in Nigeria, some communities in Nigeria are still living in the dark due to poor power supply.

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Also the price of petroleum products have been on an increase despite the fact that we are an oil producing nation. These are serious issues that need to seriously addressed in my country so that positive change can come to all.

Conclusion

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You can't mention The African Continent without signaling out its most populous state Nigeria, hence the name the Giant of Africa because of the role this great nation played in the fight against colonialism and the maintenance of peace and security in the region.
Nigeria is a nation with great potential to transform not just herself but the entire African continent as a whole. Her abundant resources and man power gives my country an edge and this adds to her influence in the continent and the world at large. However despite all this enormous advantage, my great nation still faces a lot of challenges stemming from leadership down to the grass roots. But we keep hoping that the best is yet to come and things will turn around for good.

I will like to use this opportunity to invite @offia66 and @sandrakez to participate in this contest.