Cameroon vs Nigeria: Side-by-Side Comparison
Nigeria is bigger than Cameroon on the main measures: it covers 923,768 km² against 475,442 km², has about 232.7 million people against Cameroon's 29.1 million (2024 UN estimates), and its 2024 GDP of about $252 billion is roughly 4.8 times Cameroon's $53 billion. Per person, though, Cameroon now produces more (about $1,800 against $1,100). The neighbours share a border of about 1,975 km, from Lake Chad to the Bakassi Peninsula on the Gulf of Guinea.
Key Differences at a Glance
- Size: Nigeria is about 1.9 times larger by area and has about 8 times as many people.
- Economy: Nigeria's GDP is about 4.8 times Cameroon's, but GDP per capita is higher in Cameroon (about $1,800 versus $1,100).
- Languages: Cameroon is officially bilingual in French and English; Nigeria's official language is English.
- Currency and blocs: Cameroon uses the Central African CFA franc and belongs to CEMAC and ECCAS; Nigeria uses the naira and belongs to ECOWAS.
- Region: Cameroon is counted in Central Africa, Nigeria in West Africa, although their landscapes and peoples overlap along the border.
| Metric | Cameroon | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Yaoundé | Abuja |
| Largest city | Douala and Yaoundé (similar size) | Lagos |
| Region (UN) | Central Africa | West Africa |
| Population (2024, UN) | about 29.1 million | about 232.7 million |
| Area | 475,442 km² | 923,768 km² |
| Population density | about 61 per km² | about 252 per km² |
| GDP (nominal, 2024) | about $53 billion | about $252 billion (rebased series published in 2025) |
| GDP per capita (2024) | about $1,800 | about $1,100 |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Nigerian naira (NGN) |
| Official language(s) | French, English | English |
| Government | Presidential republic | Federal presidential republic |
| Life expectancy (2023) | about 64 years | about 54 years |
| Independence | 1 January 1960 (from France); British Southern Cameroons joined 1961 | 1 October 1960 (from the UK) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Calling code | +237 | +234 |
| Drives on the | Right | Right |
| Landlocked | No | No |
Sources: population from UN World Population Prospects 2024; GDP from IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates (nominal US dollars, so values move with exchange rates); GDP per capita calculated from those two figures; life expectancy from UN/World Bank 2023 data.
Population
Nigeria has about 232.7 million people and Cameroon about 29.1 million (2024 UN estimates), so Nigeria has roughly 8 times as many. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country; Cameroon ranks in the continent's top 15. Nigeria is also much denser, with about 252 people per km² against about 61 in Cameroon.
Both populations are young, with median ages under 20. Nigeria's people are concentrated in the densely settled south-west (Lagos, Ibadan), the south-east, and northern cities such as Kano and Kaduna. Cameroon's two main cities, the port of Douala and the capital Yaoundé, are of similar size, and the western highlands around Bafoussam and Bamenda are densely populated, while the east is forested and thinly settled. Communities such as the Fulani, Kanuri, Efik and Ejagham live on both sides of the border.
Area and Geography
Nigeria covers 923,768 km², about 1.9 times Cameroon's 475,442 km². Both face the Gulf of Guinea, with ports at Lagos and Port Harcourt in Nigeria and Douala and Kribi in Cameroon. Cameroon's ports serve landlocked Chad and the Central African Republic.
The two share a similar north–south pattern: mangroves and rainforest in the south, savanna in the middle, and semi-arid Sahel in the far north near Lake Chad. Nigeria is shaped by the Niger and Benue rivers, the oil-producing Niger Delta and the Jos Plateau. Cameroon, nicknamed "Africa in miniature" for its variety, has the volcanic Cameroon Line of highlands, the Adamawa Plateau and Mount Cameroon (about 4,040 m), the highest peak in West and Central Africa, which rises straight from the coast near Buea.
The Cameroon–Nigeria Border
The border, about 1,975 km long, is one of the longest in West and Central Africa. It runs from Lake Chad in the north, through the Mandara Mountains, along the Adamawa and Cameroon highlands, where Chappal Waddi, Nigeria's highest point (about 2,419 m), sits close to the line, and down to the Cross River area and the mangrove creeks of the Bakassi Peninsula on the Gulf of Guinea.
Bakassi, a fishing and potentially oil-rich peninsula, was disputed for decades and caused armed clashes in the 1980s and 1990s. In October 2002 the International Court of Justice ruled that Bakassi belongs to Cameroon; under the Greentree Agreement of 2006, Nigeria completed its handover in August 2008. The ruling also settled sections of the land border and Lake Chad. Main crossings include Ekok–Mfum on the Cross River road linking Bamenda and Enugu, and Banki–Amchidé in the far north, where the Boko Haram insurgency has disrupted trade since the 2010s.
Economy
Nigeria's 2024 GDP was about $252 billion (IMF/World Bank estimates, using the rebased series published in 2025) and Cameroon's about $53 billion, so Nigeria's economy is roughly 4.8 times larger. Per person, Cameroon now produces more: about $1,800 against about $1,100 in Nigeria, largely because the naira's devaluation in 2023–24 cut Nigeria's GDP in dollar terms. Nigeria is no longer Africa's largest economy in US dollars, trailing South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, although these rankings shift with exchange rates.
Nigeria's economy relies on crude oil and gas for most exports and much government revenue, alongside a very large farming sector, trade, telecoms, banking and fintech, and creative industries such as Nollywood and Afrobeats. Cameroon's economy is more diversified for its size: oil and gas, cocoa, coffee, bananas, cotton, timber and aluminium, plus transit trade to Chad and the Central African Republic. Both are classified by the World Bank as lower-middle-income economies.
Language and Culture
Nigeria's official language is English, with Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo as the largest of more than 500 languages and Nigerian Pidgin as a common lingua franca. Cameroon has two official languages, French and English, reflecting its split colonial history; about four-fifths of the population is in the French-speaking regions. Cameroonian Pidgin, close to Nigerian Pidgin, is widely spoken in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions, and more than 250 local languages are used across the country.
Both countries are extremely diverse, with Islam predominant in the north and Christianity in the south. Nigeria's music and films dominate the region's popular culture, while Cameroon is known for makossa and bikutsi music and for the Indomitable Lions, one of Africa's most successful national football teams.
Currency
Cameroon uses the Central African CFA franc (XAF), shared by the six members of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and pegged to the euro, which keeps inflation relatively low. Nigeria uses the naira (NGN), which lost much of its value in 2023–24 after the central bank moved towards a market exchange rate. Cross-border traders often deal in naira in Cameroon's border markets, but formally the two currencies are separate and must be exchanged.
History and Independence
Cameroon was a German colony (Kamerun) until the First World War, after which it was divided between France and Britain. French Cameroun became independent on 1 January 1960 and Nigeria on 1 October 1960. British Cameroons, administered as part of Nigeria, held UN plebiscites in February 1961: the Northern Cameroons voted to join Nigeria, while the Southern Cameroons voted to join Cameroon, which it did on 1 October 1961. This is why Cameroon is bilingual and why parts of today's north-eastern Nigeria were once "Cameroons".
Nigeria went through the Biafran civil war (1967–70) and long military rule before returning to civilian government in 1999. Cameroon has had remarkable continuity in leadership but faces a separatist conflict in its Anglophone regions since 2017, which has displaced hundreds of thousands and sent tens of thousands of refugees into Nigeria.
Cameroon–Nigeria Relations, Trade and Travel
After the Bakassi handover, relations became more cooperative. The two now work together against Boko Haram and its offshoots in the Lake Chad Basin through the Multinational Joint Task Force, and through the Lake Chad Basin Commission on the lake's shrinking waters. Cross-border trade is large but mostly informal: Nigerian manufactured goods, fuel and textiles go east, while Cameroonian farm produce, livestock and timber go west. Because Cameroon is not a member of ECOWAS, ECOWAS free-movement and trade rules do not apply, although both are in the African Continental Free Trade Area.
For travellers, the main road route is via Ekok–Mfum between Bamenda and Calabar or Enugu, but insecurity in Cameroon's Anglophone regions and in the Lake Chad area means many people fly between Douala and Lagos or Abuja instead. Check visa requirements and official travel advice before crossing. Both countries drive on the right and share the same time zone (UTC+1).
Which Country Is Bigger?
Nigeria is bigger on the headline measures: about 1.9 times Cameroon's area (923,768 km² against 475,442 km²), about 8 times its population (232.7 million against 29.1 million) and about 4.8 times its GDP ($252 billion against $53 billion in 2024). Cameroon's one lead is GDP per person, about $1,800 against $1,100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is bigger, Cameroon or Nigeria?
Nigeria. It covers 923,768 km², about 1.9 times Cameroon's 475,442 km², and has about 232.7 million people against Cameroon's 29.1 million (2024 UN estimates).
Which has the larger economy, Cameroon or Nigeria?
Nigeria. Its 2024 GDP was about $252 billion, roughly 4.8 times Cameroon's $53 billion. Per person, however, Cameroon is ahead, at about $1,800 against about $1,100.
Who owns the Bakassi Peninsula?
Cameroon. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that Bakassi belongs to Cameroon, and Nigeria completed the handover in August 2008 under the Greentree Agreement.
Why does Cameroon speak both French and English?
After the First World War, German Kamerun was split between France and Britain. French Cameroun became independent in 1960, and in 1961 the British Southern Cameroons voted to join it, creating a bilingual state. The British Northern Cameroons voted to join Nigeria.
Is Cameroon in ECOWAS?
No. Cameroon belongs to the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Nigeria is the largest member of ECOWAS.
How long is the Cameroon–Nigeria border?
About 1,975 km, running from Lake Chad in the north to the Bakassi Peninsula on the Gulf of Guinea.
Last updated: September 2026. Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024. GDP: IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates. Area: national statistics offices and the CIA World Factbook.