THE COUNTRY, NIGERIA ACCORDING TO CIA.





 

View Text Low Bandwidth Version
Download Publication
Africa :: Nigeria
Page last updated on June 20, 2014
 

No Photos available for Nigeria
  no photos available

Introduction ::Nigeria

    British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. In January 2014, Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.

Geography ::Nigeria

People and Society ::Nigeria

    noun: Nigerian(s)
    adjective: Nigerian

    Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

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

    Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

    177,155,754
    country comparison to the world: 8
    note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2014 est.)

    0-14 years: 43.2% (male 39,151,304/female 37,353,737)
    15-24 years: 19.3% (male 17,486,117/female 16,732,533)
    25-54 years: 30.5% (male 27,697,644/female 26,285,816)
    55-64 years: 3.9% (male 3,393,631/female 3,571,301)
    65 years and over: 3% (male 2,621,845/female 2,861,826) (2014 est.)
    population pyramid:

    total dependency ratio: 89.2 %
    youth dependency ratio: 84 %
    elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 %
    potential support ratio: 19.3 (2014 est.)

    total: 18.2 years
    male: 18.1 years
    female: 18.3 years (2014 est.)

    2.47% (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 33

    38.03 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 12

    13.16 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 19

    -0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 120

    urban population: 49.6% of total population (2011)
    rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

    Lagos 11.223 million; Kano 3.375 million; Ibadan 2.949 million; ABUJA (capital) 2.153 million; Port Harcourt 1.894 million; Kaduna 1.524 million (2011)

    at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
    total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

    20.3
    note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2013 est.)

    630 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
    country comparison to the world: 11

    total: 74.09 deaths/1,000 live births
    country comparison to the world: 10
    male: 79.02 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 68.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

    total population: 52.62 years
    country comparison to the world: 212
    male: 51.63 years
    female: 53.66 years (2014 est.)

    5.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 13

    14.1% (2011)

    5.3% of GDP (2011)
    country comparison to the world: 127

    0.4 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

    0.53 beds/1,000 population (2004)

    improved:
    urban: 78.8% of population
    rural: 49.1% of population
    total: 64% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 21.2% of population
    rural: 50.9% of population
    total: 36% of population (2012 est.)

    improved:
    urban: 30.8% of population
    rural: 24.7% of population
    total: 27.8% of population
    unimproved:
    urban: 69.2% of population
    rural: 75.3% of population
    total: 72.2% of population (2012 est.)

    3.1% (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 20

    3,426,600 (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 2

    239,700 (2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 1

    degree of risk: very high
    food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
    vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
    water contact diseases: leptospirosis and schistosomiasis
    respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
    aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
    animal contact disease: rabies
    note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

    6.5% (2008)
    country comparison to the world: 146

    24.4% (2011)
    country comparison to the world: 26

    NA

    definition: age 15 and over can read and write
    total population: 61.3%
    male: 72.1%
    female: 50.4% (2010 est.)

    total: 9 years
    male: 10 years
    female: 8 years (2005)

    total number: 11,396,823
    percentage: 29 % (2007 est.)

Government ::Nigeria

    conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
    conventional short form: Nigeria

    federal republic

    name: Abuja
    geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E
    time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

    36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara

    1 October 1960 (from the UK)

    Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)

    several previous; latest adopted 5 May 1999, effective 29 May 1999; amended 2010 (2010)

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

    accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

    18 years of age; universal

    chief of state: President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; JONATHAN assumed the presidency on 5 May 2010 following the death of President YAR'ADUA; JONATHAN was elected president on 16 April 2011
    head of government: President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010)
    cabinet: Federal Executive Council
    (For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
    elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015)
    election results: Goodluck JONATHAN elected president; percent of vote - Goodluck JONATHAN 58.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI 32.0%, Nuhu RIBADU 5.4%, Ibrahim SHEKARAU 2.4%, other 1.3%

    bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
    elections: Senate - last held on 9 and 26 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015); House of Representatives - last held on 9 and 26 April 2011 (next to be held in February 2015)
    election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 73, ACN 17, ANPP 7, CPC 6, LP 4, other 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 205, ACN 69, CPC 36, ANPP 28, LP 9, APGA 6, ACC 5, other 2; note - due to logistical problems elections in a number of constituencies were held on 26 April 2011

    highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 15 justices)
    judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a 23-member independent body of federal and state judicial officials; judge appointments confirmed by the Senate; judges serve until age 65
    subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; state court system similar in structure to federal system

    Accord Party or ACC [Mohammad Lawal MALADO]
    Action Congress of Nigeria or ACN [Adebisi Bamidele AKANDE]
    All Nigeria Peoples Party or ANPP [Ogbonnaya C. ONU]
    All Progressives Congress [Adebisi Bamidele AKANDE, acting]
    All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]
    Congress for Progressive Change or CPC [Tony MOMOH]
    Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Biodun OGUNBIYI]
    Labor Party [Chief Dan NWANYANWU]
    Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Adamu MU'AZU]

    Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU
    Campaign for Democracy or CD
    Civil Liberties Organization or CLO
    Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR
    Constitutional Right Project or CRP
    Human Right Africa
    National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL
    National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS
    Nigerian Bar Association or NBA
    Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC
    Nigerian Medical Association or NMA
    the press
    Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD

    ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

    chief of mission: Ambassador Adebowale Ibidapo ADEFUYE (since 26 March 2010)
    chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
    telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
    FAX: [1] (202) 362-6541
    consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York

    chief of mission: Ambassador James F. ENTWISTLE (since 28 October 2013)
    embassy: Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja
    mailing address: P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja
    telephone: [234] (9) 461-4000
    FAX: [234] (9) 461-4171

    three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green; the color green represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, white stands for peace and unity

    eagle

    name: "Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey"

    lyrics/music: John A. ILECHUKWU, Eme Etim AKPAN, B. A. OGUNNAIKE, Sotu OMOIGUI and P. O. ADERIBIGBE/Benedict Elide ODIASE
    note: adopted 1978; the lyrics are a mixture of five of the top entries in a national contest

Economy ::Nigeria

    Following an April 2014 statistical "rebasing" exercise, Nigeria has emerged as Africa's largest economy, with 2013 GDP estimated at US$ 502 billion. Oil has been a dominant source of government revenues since the 1970s. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investment in oil and natural gas, and Nigeria's oil production contracted in 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless, the Nigerian economy has continued to grow at a rapid 6-8% per annum (pre-rebasing), driven by growth in agriculture, telecommunications, and services, and the medium-term outlook for Nigeria is good, assuming oil output stabilizes and oil prices remain strong. Fiscal authorities pursued countercyclical policies in 2011-2013, significantly reducing the budget deficit. Monetary policy has also been responsive and effective. Following the 2008-9 global financial crises, the banking sector was effectively recapitalized and regulation enhanced. Despite its strong fundamentals, oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels - over 62% of Nigeria's 170 million people live in extreme poverty. President JONATHAN has established an economic team that includes experienced and reputable members and has announced plans to increase transparency, continue to diversify production, and further improve fiscal management. The government is working to develop stronger public-private partnerships for roads, agriculture, and power.

    $478.5 billion (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 31
    $450.4 billion (2012 est.)
    $422.6 billion (2011 est.)
    note: data are in 2013 US dollars

    $502 billion (2013 est.)

    6.2% (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 35
    6.6% (2012 est.)
    7.4% (2011 est.)

    $2,800 (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 180
    $2,700 (2012 est.)
    $2,600 (2011 est.)
    note: data are in 2013 US dollars

    15.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 106
    15.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
    15.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

    household consumption: 50.3%
    government consumption: 12.8%
    investment in fixed capital: 9.8%
    investment in inventories: 0%
    exports of goods and services: 49.9%
    imports of goods and services: -22.8%
    (2013 est.)

    agriculture: 30.9%
    industry: 43%
    services: 26% (2012 est.)

    cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish

    crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel

    0.9% (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 153

    51.53 million (2011 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 12

    agriculture: 70%
    industry: 10%
    services: 20% (1999 est.)

    23.9% (2011 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 172
    4.9% (2007 est.)

    70% (2010 est.)

    lowest 10%: 1.8%
    highest 10%: 38.2% (2010 est.)

    43.7 (2003)
    country comparison to the world: 47
    50.6 (1997)

    revenues: $23.85 billion
    expenditures: $31.51 billion (2013 est.)

    4.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 212

    -1.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 73

    19.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 136
    17.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

    calendar year

    8.7% (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 201
    12.2% (2012 est.)

    4.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 59
    6% (31 December 2009 est.)

    15.5% (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 31
    16.79% (31 December 2012 est.)

    $46.48 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 48
    $44.41 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $98.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 53
    $96.34 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $93.46 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 52
    $93.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $56.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 51
    $39.27 billion (31 December 2011)
    $50.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

    $16.16 billion (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 19
    $20.35 billion (2012 est.)

    $93.55 billion (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 38
    $95.68 billion (2012 est.)

    petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber

    US 16.8%, India 11.5%, Netherlands 8.6%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.6%, UK 5.1%, Germany 4.9%, Japan 4.1%, France 4.1% (2012)

    $55.98 billion (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 52
    $53.36 billion (2012 est.)

    machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals

    China 18.3%, US 10.1%, India 5.5% (2012)

    $47.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 43
    $46.41 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $15.73 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 86
    $13.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $84.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 45
    $76.75 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    $9.212 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 55
    $7.444 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

    nairas (NGN) per US dollar -
    156.8 (2013 est.)
    156.81 (2012 est.)
    150.3 (2010 est.)
    148.9 (2009)
    117.8 (2008)

Energy ::Nigeria

Communications ::Nigeria

    418,200 (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 102

    112.78 million (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 10

    general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem
    domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership base approaching 60 per 100 persons
    international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2010)

    nearly 70 federal government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)

    .ng

    1,234 (2012)
    country comparison to the world: 169

    43.989 million (2009)
    country comparison to the world: 9

Transportation ::Nigeria

    54 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 87

    total: 40
    over 3,047 m: 10
    2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
    914 to 1,523 m: 6
    under 914 m: 3 (2013)

    total: 14
    1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
    914 to 1,523 m: 9
    under 914 m:
    3 (2013)

    5 (2013)

    condensate 124 km; gas 4,045 km; liquid petroleum gas 164 km; oil 4,441 km; refined products 3,940 km (2013)

    total: 3,505 km
    country comparison to the world: 50
    narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

    total: 193,200 km
    country comparison to the world: 27
    paved: 28,980 km
    unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)

    8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2011)
    country comparison to the world: 15

    total: 89
    country comparison to the world: 54
    by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 28, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 56, specialized tanker 1
    foreign-owned: 3 (India 1, UK 2)
    registered in other countries: 33 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Comoros 1, Italy 1, Liberia 4, North Korea 1, Panama 6, Seychelles 1, unknown 6) (2010)

    major seaport(s): Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos

    the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; in 2012, 27 commercial vessels were boarded or attacked compared with 10 attacks in 2011; crews were robbed and stores or cargoes stolen; Nigerian pirates have extended the range of their attacks to as far away as Cote d'Ivoire

Military ::Nigeria

Transnational Issues ::Nigeria

    Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; 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; 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; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

    IDPs: 3.3 million (Boko Haram attacks and counterinsurgency efforts in northern Nigeria; communal violence between Christians and Muslims in the middle belt region, political violence; flooding; forced evictions; cattle rustling; competition for resources; displacement is mostly short-term) (2014)

    a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF

 

Popular posts from this blog

UK GENERAL ELECTIONS:Inquiry announced into memo alleging Sturgeon wants Tory election victory.

Sandhurst's sheikhs: Why do so many Gulf royals receive military training in the UK? A parade outside the building at Sandhurst Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine The death list that names 5,000 victims Is this woman an apostate? Voices from a WW1 prison camp The Swiss selfie scandal Generations of foreign royals - particularly from the Middle East - have learned to be military leaders at the UK's Sandhurst officer training academy. But is that still a good idea, asks Matthew Teller. Since 1812, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, on the Surrey/Berkshire border, has been where the British Army trains its officers. It has a gruelling 44-week course testing the physical and intellectual skills of officer cadets and imbuing them with the values of the British Army. Alongside would-be British officers, Sandhurst has a tradition of drawing cadets from overseas. Many of the elite families of the Middle East have sent their sons and daughters. Perhaps the most notable was King Hussein of Jordan. Continue reading the main story Find out more Matthew Teller presents Sandhurst and the Sheikhs, a Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4, on Wednesday 27 August 2014 at 11:00 BST It will be available on iPlayer shortly after broadcast Four reigning Arab monarchs are graduates of Sandhurst and its affiliated colleges - King Abdullah of Jordan, King Hamad of Bahrain, Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Past monarchs include Sheikh Saad, Emir of Kuwait, and Sheikh Hamad, Emir of Qatar. Sandhurst's links have continued from the time when Britain was the major colonial power in the Gulf. "One thing the British were excellent at was consolidating their rule through spectacle," says Habiba Hamid, former foreign policy strategist to the rulers of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "Pomp, ceremony, displays of military might, shock and awe - they all originate from the British military relationship." Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King Abdullah, Sultan Qaboos Sandhurst alumni: King Hamad of Bahrain, King Abdullah of Jordan and Sultan Qaboos of Oman It's a place where future leaders get to know each other, says Michael Stephens, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute, Qatar. And Sandhurst gives the UK influence in the Gulf. "The [UK] gets the kind of attention from Gulf policy elites that countries of our size, like France and others, don't get. It gives us the ability to punch above our weight. "You have people who've spent time in Britain, they have… connections to their mates, their teachers. Familiarity in politics is very beneficial in the Gulf context." "For British people who are drifting around the world, as I did as a soldier," says Brigadier Peter Sincock, former defence attache to Saudi Arabia, "you find people who were at Sandhurst and you have an immediate rapport. I think that's very helpful, for example, in the field of military sales." The Emir of Dubai Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum with his son after his Passing Out Parade at Sandhurst in 2006 Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, with his son in uniform at Sandhurst in 2006 Her Majesty The Queen's Representative His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, The Emir of Qatar inspects soldiers during the 144th Sovereign's Parade held at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on April 8, 2004 in Camberley, England. Some 470 Officer cadets took part of which 219 were commissioned into the British Army Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar until 2013, inspects soldiers at Sandhurst in 2004 Emotion doesn't always deliver. In 2013, despite the personal intervention of David Cameron, the UAE decided against buying the UK's Typhoon fighter jets. But elsewhere fellow feeling is paying dividends. "The Gulf monarchies have become important sources of capital," says Jane Kinninmont, deputy head of the Middle East/North Africa programme at the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House. "So you see the tallest building in London being financed by the Qataris, you see UK infrastructure and oilfield development being financed by the UAE. There's a desire - it can even seem like a desperation - to keep them onside for trade reasons." British policy in the Gulf is primarily "mercantile", says Dr Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, of the Baker Institute in Houston, Texas. Concerns over human rights and reform are secondary. The Shard at dusk The Shard was funded by Qatari investors In 2012 Sandhurst accepted a £15m donation from the UAE for a new accommodation block, named the Zayed Building after that country's founding ruler. In March 2013, Sandhurst's Mons Hall - a sports centre - was reopened as the King Hamad Hall, following a £3m donation from the monarch of Bahrain, who was educated at one of Sandhurst's affiliated colleges. The renaming proved controversial, partly because of the perceived slight towards the 1,600 British casualties at the Battle of Mons in August 1914 - and partly because of how Hamad and his government have dealt with political protest in Bahrain over the last three years. A critic might note that the third term of Sandhurst's Officer Commissioning Course covers counter-insurgency techniques and ways to manage public disorder. Since tension between Bahrain's majority Shia population and minority Sunni ruling elite boiled over in 2011, more than 80 civilians have died at the hands of the security forces, according to opposition estimates, though the government disputes the figures. Thirteen police officers have also lost their lives in the clashes. "The king has always felt that Sandhurst was a great place," says Sincock, chairman of the Bahrain Society, which promotes friendship between the UK and Bahrain. "Something like 20 of his immediate family have been there as cadets. He didn't really understand why there was such an outcry." David Cameron and King Hamad David Cameron meeting King Hamad in 2012... A protester is held back by police ... while protesters nearby opposed the Bahrain ruler's human rights record Crispin Black, a Sandhurst graduate and former instructor, says the academy should not have taken the money. "Everywhere you look there's a memorial to something, a building or a plaque that serves as a touchstone that takes you right to the heart of British military history. Calling this hall 'King Hamad Hall' ain't gonna do that." Sandhurst gave a written response to the criticism. "All donations to Sandhurst are in compliance with the UK's domestic and international legal obligations and our values as a nation. Over the years donations like this have saved the UK taxpayer a considerable amount of money." But what happens when Sandhurst's friends become enemies? In 2001, then-prime minister Tony Blair visited Damascus, marking a warming of relations between the UK and Syria. Shortly after, in 2003, Sandhurst was training officers from the Syrian armed forces. Now, of course, Syria is an international pariah. Journalist Michael Cockerell has written about Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi's time at the Army School of Education in Beaconsfield in 1966: "Three years [later], Gaddafi followed a tradition of foreign officers trained by the British Army. He made use of his newfound knowledge to seize political power in his own country." Ahmed Ali Sandhurst-trained Ahmed Ali was a key player in the Egyptian military's removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi That tradition persists. In the 1990s Egyptian colonel Ahmed Ali attended Sandhurst. In 2013 he was one of the key figures in the Egyptian military's removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, now rewarded by a post in President Sisi's inner circle of advisers. In the late 1990s there were moves by the British government under Tony Blair to end Sandhurst's training of overseas cadets. Major-General Arthur Denaro, Middle East adviser to the defence secretary and commandant at Sandhurst in the late 1990s, describes the idea as part of the "ethical foreign policy" advocated by the late Robin Cook, then-foreign secretary. Tony Blair and Robin Cook Tony Blair and Robin Cook at one point planned to end Sandhurst's training of overseas cadets The funeral of King Hussein in 1999 appears to have scuppered the plan. "Coming to that funeral were the heads of state of almost every country in the world - and our prime minister was there, Tony Blair," says Major-General Denaro. "He happened to see me talking to heads of state - the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman, the Bahrainis, the Saudis - and he said 'How do you know all these guys?' The answer was because they went to Sandhurst." Today, Sandhurst has reportedly trained more officer cadets from the UAE than from any other country bar the UK. The May 2014 intake included 72 overseas cadets, around 40% of whom were from the Middle East. "In the future," says Maryam al-Khawaja, acting president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, "people will look back at how much Britain messed up in the [Middle East] because they wanted to sell more Typhoon jets to Bahrain, rather than stand behind the values of human rights and democracy." "It's one thing saying we're inculcating benign values, but that's not happening," says Habiba Hamid. Sandhurst is "a relic of the colonial past. They're not [teaching] the civic values we ought to find in democratically elected leaders." line Who else went to Sandhurst? Princes William and Harry, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, Katie Hopkins, Antony Beevor, James Blunt, Josh Lewsey, Devon Harris (From left to right) Princes William and Harry Sir Winston Churchill Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond (but did not complete training) Katie Hopkins, reality TV star Antony Beevor, historian James Blunt, singer-songwriter Josh Lewsey, World Cup-winning England rugby player Devon Harris, member of Jamaica's first bobsleigh team line Sandhurst says that "building international relations through military exchanges and education is a key pillar of the UK's international engagement strategy". Sandhurst may be marvellous for the UK, a country where the army is subservient to government, but it is also delivering militarily-trained officers to Middle Eastern monarchies where, often, armies seem to exist to defend not the nation but the ruling family.

Ebola Outbreak: Guinea Declares Emergency As Overall Deaths From Ebola Rise To 1,069