At over 173 million people, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and dwarfs the second most-populous country, Ethiopia, with 100 million people. With a nominal GDP of $376 billion, or around 17% of Africa's GDP, it is just ahead of South Africa, which makes up the next 16% of Africa's economy. Because Nigeria is such a significant country in Africa in terms of its population and its economy, its absence since the initial signing of the agreement until now is particularly conspicuous.