How did Nigeria get its name?

Nigeria's name is derived from the Niger River. The name "Niger" is itself a Latinized version of the Tuareg word "egerew n-Igerewen" which means "river of rivers" or "great river". The name was first used by European explorers in the 16th century and was later adopted by the British colonial administration in the 19th century. The word "Nigeria" was coined in 1898 by British journalist Flora Shaw and was officially adopted as the name of the country upon its independence in 1960.