Kids from Nigeria

• Continent: Western Africa
• Climate: Hot—averaging around 90 degrees in much of the nation. Nigeria has two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. Each lasts about half the year.
School:
• The school year in Nigeria runs from January through December. Typically, there are three semesters, with a month off following each one.
• Most schools have strict dress codes. There are not only required uniforms but also rules about hairstyles, jewelry and accessories.
Play:
• A board game called ayo, played by two people using seeds and a board that has twelve cups, is widespread. So are checkers and hand-clapping games.
• Soccer is a national craze in Nigeria, as in much of Africa. Volleyball, wrestling and boxing are also popular.
Family:
• Age earns respect in many families. As a mark of honor, an older sibling may be addressed as “Senior Brother” or “Senior Sister” instead of their name.
• Traditionally, most Nigerians lived in extended families, either within the same home or in separate homes clustered close together.
Signature foods:
• Spicy pepper soup, made with onions, hot chili peppers and meat or fish
• Plantains (a member of the banana family), which can be fried, stewed with meat, toasted or made into pastries
Interesting animals:
• The rare Sclater's guenon, a small (6–9 pound), wiry gray monkey that dwells in swamps and moist forests
• The West African manatee, a thousand-pound water mammal with small flippers and a mouth full of molars
• Unique holiday: October 1 brings the biggest festival in Nigeria—Independence Day, which celebrates Nigeria's independence from Great Britain in 1960. The day begins with a presidential address and includes parades and festivities in all 36 Nigerian states.
• Did you know? Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, accounting for about one-fifth of the continent's people. It is very diverse, with more than 250 ethnic groups; the largest are the Yoruba, the Hausa and Fulani and the Ibo (Igbo).

For more information, go to the Fact Monster page about Nigeria.