Nigeria has 6th largest population worldwide

ABUJA - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said Nigeria has the sixth largest population in the world.

UNFPA Country Representative in Nigeria Agatha Lawson made the declaration in Abuja on Monday during an interactive session with the reporters.

Nigeria's new position is coming as the world commemorates the World Seven Billionth Population Day.

Nigeria, which ranked seventh in the World Population Report of July 1, has taken over from Pakistan, which occupied the sixth position in the July report.

Nigeria still occupies the first position as the most populous in Africa, Lawson said.

"Nigeria is the sixth most populated in the world after China, India, USA, Indonesia and Brazil," the Country Representative added.

"In Africa, Nigeria is still the biggest and the first with the population of 167 million as at this morning," the official told reporters.

"Four boys and four girls were given birth to in the Federal Capital Territory while about 840 babies were recorded in Nigeria between 11:45 pm local time to noon on Sunday night," Lawson added.