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What’s Up, World? Nigeria

Learn about this large African country across the Atlantic Ocean. 

As the audience cheered, a girl showed off a dress made of juice packs. Another girl spun in a cape made of plastic bottles. The girls were among 35 kids in last March’s “trash fashion” event in Nigeria. It’s called the Trashion Show. 

Sunday Alamba/AP Images 

Kids participate in Nigeria's Trashion Show.

Every year, the show spreads the word about problems caused by plastic pollution. For example, tons of plastic we use ends up in ecosystems where it harms animals. 

These kids in Nigeria want others to become aware of the problem. So they work with Green Fingers Wildlife Initiative, the group that puts on the Trashion Show. The kids collect trash from beaches around Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city. Last year, they turned about 220 pounds of trash into colorful outfits. The participants hope to remind people to find other uses for plastic and to keep it out of the ecosystems. 

Creature Feature 

Over the past 30 years, the number of African elephants in Nigeria has gone from around 1,500 to fewer than 400. Nigerians are working to stop hunters who kill elephants for their tusks. 

Shutterstock.com 

Look At This  

At nearly 2,400 feet, Zuma Rock is taller than the highest skyscraper in Nigeria. It is a national symbol of strength that has been pictured on Nigerian money and stamps. Some people see a human face on the rock. Can you see it?

Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

An ostrich, a large flightless bird, poses in front of Zuma Rock.

Nigeria’s official language is English, but more than 50 million people speak Hausa. Hello in Hausa is sannu (sah-NOO)!

Let's Eat

Jollof rice is so popular in Nigeria that it’s often called the national dish. Rice and tomatoes are cooked in one pot and topped with extras like plantains, a type of banana.

Kostiantyn Zapylaiev/Alamy Stock Photo

Fun and Games

In Nigeria, the most popular sport, soccer, is called football. Nigeria’s men’s national team, the Super Eagles, has competed in the World Cup six times—and it’s won the Africa Cup of Nations three times. 

Andrew Wiseman/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Nigeria’s women’s national soccer team is called the Super Falcons.

Quick Peek At Nigeria

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Population: Nigeria has more than 230 million people. That’s the highest population of any African country.  

Geography: Often nicknamed the “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria is one of the largest nations in Africa. Its diverse landscapes include plains, swamps, mountains, jungles, and deserts.

  1. What do the kids who participate in the Trashion Show wear? Where do they get the materials?
  2. According to the article, what does Zuma Rock symbolize? 
  3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to Nigeria?
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