The other relatively important features of the population, for the purpose of planning, include literacy, occupation and labour force. On literacy, the 1991 census data show that 57 per cent of Nigerians can be said to be literate.

Although this seems to be an improvement on the situation in the 1980s, when it was estimated that Nigeria was about 40-45 per cent literate, the census data on literacy is still relatively low by worid standard. For instance, some of the developing countries in Asia, Latin and South America have attained 70-80 per cent literacy levels, while the level in the developed countries stands at 99-100 per cent.

The census data on literacy for the country, however, obscure wide differences between the sexes, age groups as well as between urban and rural areas. Analysis of the data along gender lines shows that while about 60 per cent of the male population is literate, only 40 per cent of the female population is literate. For ages 40 years and above, literacy rate is at least twice as high tor males as for females.

The sex differential in literacy rate is substantially narrow among the lower age groups. This seems to be a function of the increasing awareness and interest in female education in the country in the last three decades. It is expected that, with the launching in 1999 of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme in the country, the overall level of literacy among the population will increase, while the sex differential will further narrow substantially for most of the age groups.

The 1991 census data on occupation and employment status show that Nigeria is still predominantly an agrarian society with about 45 per cent of the population engaged in agriculture. There is, however, a noticeable drop from the 70 per cent level observed for agriculture and allied activities in the Labour Force Sample Survey of 1966 - 67. Sales work (commerce) involving buying and selling, hawking of small items and management of small retailing shops and kiosks come next to agriculture with just about 22 per cent.

Increased activities in the oil sector of the economy and increasing urbanisation have prompted expan- sion in employment in the production, professional and technical sectors. Analysis of the data on employment status shows that the labour force of the Nigerian economy is about 32 per cent of the total population, about 45 per cent of which can be said to be economically active. Since the population is young and expansive, the level of unemployment is high.

The vast majority of Nigerians are self-employed with most of them in agriculture(particularly subsistence farming) and petty trading. The service sector of the economy is over-sized, with a large number of the operators remaining under-employed.

• Size and Growth Rate
• Age And Sex Composition
• Spatial Distribution
• Migration And Urbanization
• Other Features Of the Population