External hernias as seen in Nigeria constitute a major aspect of paediatric surgical practice. A review of 510 cases seen over a period of 10 years showed that, of those with inguinal hernia, 54% had right inguinal hernia (RIH), 35% left inguinal hernia (LIH), 9% bilateral inguinal hernia (BIH) and 2% hydroceles. There was a 4% incarceration rate which was, however, associated with a high (75%) strangulation rate. Thirty-one per cent of those who had contralateral groin dissection had patent processus vaginalis. This was age-dependent, ranging from 60% at 3 months to 28% at 1 year; only a half of these are likely to present with clinical hernia later in life. The incidence of umbilical hernia in the population is not known, but 35% of those who present for treatment do so because of obstruction/strangulation. Two patients had paraumbilical epigastric hernia and one a transverse incisional hernia in the left lower abdominal quadrant. On comparing our findings with Caucasian-based data, it was observed that Nigerian children had a lower female incidence of inguinal hernia, but a higher incidence of LIH, and that in them the processus vaginalis obliterated more often and at a faster rate than in Caucasians.