See also: Timeline of Nigerian history

• President: Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP)
• Vice President: Atiku Abubakar (PDP)
• Senate President: Anyim Pius Anyim (PDP)
• House Speaker: Ghali Umar Na'Abba (PDP)
• Chief Justice: Muhammad Lawal Uwais

• Abia State: Orji Uzor Kalu
• Adamawa State: Boni Haruna
• Akwa Ibom State: Victor Attah
• Anambra State: Chinwoke Mbadinuju
• Bauchi State: Adamu Mu'azu
• Bayelsa State: Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
• Benue State: George Akume
• Borno State: Mala Kachalla
• Cross River State: Donald Duke
• Delta State: James Ibori
• Ebonyi State: Sam Egwu
• Edo State: Lucky Igbinedion
• Ekiti State: Niyi Adebayo
• Enugu State: Chimaroke Nnamani
• Gombe State: Abubakar Habu Hashidu
• Imo State: Achike Udenwa
• Jigawa State: Ibrahim Saminu Turaki
• Kaduna State: Ahmed Makarfi
• Kano State: Rabiu Kwankwaso
• Katsina State: Umaru Yar'Adua
• Kebbi State: Adamu Aliero
• Kogi State: Abubakar Audu
• Kwara State: Mohammed Lawal
• Lagos State: Bola Tinubu
• Nasarawa State: Abdullahi Adamu
• Niger State: Abdulkadir Kure
• Ogun State: Olusegun Osoba
• Ondo State: Adebayo Adefarati
• Osun State: Adebisi Akande
• Oyo State: Lam Adesina
• Plateau State: Joshua Dariye
• Rivers State: Peter Odili
• Sokoto State: Attahiru Bafarawa
• Taraba State: Jolly Nyame
• Yobe State: Bukar Ibrahim
• Zamfara State: Ahmad Sani Yerima

• January 27 - Lagos Armoury Explosion

• October 10 — The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against Nigeria in favor of Cameroon over the disputed oil-rich Bakassi peninsula territory.

• November — Religious riots erupt over the Miss World pageant hosted in Abuja; The pageant is subsequently moved to London.