Nigeria is a country on the coast of West Africa, bordered by the Bight of Benin and the Gulf of Guinea in south. Nigeria is bordered by Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, it shares maritime borders with Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
If we are to measure closeness and similarities in terms of demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography, the following countries are closes to Nigeria:
Here is a list of African countries closest to Nigeria
- Nigeria to Benin is: 585 kilometre
- Nigeria to Equatorial Guinea is: 630 kilometre
- Nigeria to Niger is: 730
- Nigeria to Togo is: 739 kilometre
- Nigeria to Cameroon is: 760 kilometre
- Nigeria to Ghana is: 912 kilometre
- Nigeria to Chad is: 917 kilometre
- Nigeria to Sao Tome and Principe is: 985 kilometre
- Distance from Nigeria to Gabon is: 1,010 kilometre
- Nigeria to Burkina Faso is: 1,011 kilometre
- Nigeria to Central African Republic is: 1,365 kilometre
- Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire is: 1,395 kilometre
Here is a list of African countries similar to Nigeria
Benin republic is the most similar country to Nigeria in west Africa. Though a French-speaking West African nation, it has a lot of Yoruba people which Nigeria has as well. There is also a healthy Fulani population in the North. These people have the same way of life, they have the same way of authority, the obas is their indigenous statutory authority on both sides of the borders. These people share the same ancestry and heritage. Their arts, music, and dressing are the same, they have marriages on both sides and has for a long time extended friendship and commonalities with one another.
Ghana is also a very similar country to Nigeria. A former British colony on the Gulf of Guinea. There has also been some immigration between the two countries after their independence. They inherited from the British government a common official language, common legal, administrative and educational systems. Both speak English, have similar electric outlets, and use common law. The countries also have a similar standard of living. However, in Ghana only about 20% of the population is Muslim.
Sierra Leone was also a British colony, despite its Italian sounding name. It was founded to resettle freed African slaves. Both countries are democracies that use the presidential system of government. However, it has a higher percentage of Muslims than Nigeria and is also less developed. Sierra Leone also gets more rainfall and grows different crops.
Ivory Coast is also located on the Gulf of Guinea. Both countries have roughly equal amounts of Christians and Muslims. In addition, both have an extremely similar diet consisting of cassava, yams, and fish. However, the biggest difference is that Ivory Coast was a colony of France, so it speaks French, uses different electrical outlets, and a different railroad gauge.
Tanzania is the most similar country to Nigeria in East Africa. It was originally a German colony, until World War I, when it became a British colony. Like Nigeria, it has a similar mix of Muslims and Christians. Furthermore, its climate is nearly the same, although it is more mountainous.
Liberia is another English-speaking African country similar to Nigeria. Like Sierra Leone, it was settled by freed slaves, but instead from the United States. Due to its American influence, it uses type A, B electrical outlets, unlike Nigeria. It also has a higher Christian population than Nigeria.
Sources cited:
https://objectivelists.com/2021/04/18/which-countries-are-most-similar-to-nigeria/