Nigeria
Last Updated December 2007
Nigeria is a critically
important and influential country in Africa. It is Africa's most populous
nation - home to nearly 132 million people or about one-sixth of the population
of the African continent. As such, Nigeria is a pivotal country, and its
fate impacts that of the entire continent. The progress of democracy in
Nigeria, its management of its internal divisions, its approach to HIV/AIDS,
and its ability to achieve economic success, will have repercussions far
beyond its own borders. Nigeria also represents an important African partner
for the U.S., particularly, but not only, in economic terms. It is a major
American trading partner in Africa and its fifth largest supplier of oil.
Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 after years of military government.
Despite this important transition, its democracy still remains fragile,
and hopes of greater political and social stability and economic growth
have been frustrated. An effort by some members of the National Assembly
to amend the constitution to permit President Olusegun Obasanjo to run
for a third term in 2007 was overturned, and on May 29, Obasanjo stepped
down from office and was replaced by his hand-picked successor from the
People's Democratic Party (PDP) Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. President Yar'Adua
won a landslide victory of 70 % during the April 21 national election.
Local, regional and international observers widely decried the elections
as riddled with fraud and ballot manipulation, and 200 people died in
violence surrounding the event. 50,000 Nigerians making up the Transition
Monitoring Group (TMG) said polls were "a charade" that would require
a new vote to lend the results any legitimacy. Yar'Adua assumed the presidency
despite these criticisms.
Regionally, Nigeria
has played a leading role in diplomatic, military, and peacekeeping efforts
on the African continent. Former President Obasanjo provided a forum (in
Abuja) and mediation support for the negotiation of the Darfur Peace Agreement
in May 2006, as well as troops for the African Union's peacekeeping mission
in Darfur. President Yar'Adua continued this support for resolving the
crisis in Darfur, pledging more troops to the United Nations-African Union
(UN-AU) hybrid force to be deployed this fall. In 2003, Nigeria helped
negotiate former Liberian President Charles Taylor's step-down from power
and sent in troops to help stabilize the country. In March of 2006, President
Obasanjo authorized the extradition of Taylor and his transfer to the
Special Court for Sierra Leone, which moved his trial for war crimes to
The Hague to avoid destabilizing the region. Nigeria has also played a
pivotal role in the establishment and development of regional and pan-African
institutions such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
and the African Union (AU).
Internally, Nigeria continues to experience ethnic and religious violence.
Much of this violence is rooted in a struggle to control oil and other
resources, but there are other sources of conflict, too. Parts of the
country remain particularly underdeveloped, and certain regions claim
marginalization from wealth and power. Also, the introduction of a particularly
punitive interpretation of Sharia Islamic Law in 12 states has heightened
tensions and raised human rights concerns.
Nigeria faces a growing HIV/AIDS crisis. After South Africa and India,
Nigeria is estimated to have the third most people living with HIV/AIDS
in the world: 2.9 million as of the end of 2005, although the HIV/AIDS
prevalence rate is relatively low compared with some African countries.
An estimated 55% of those living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria are women. Only
3% of those requiring antiretroviral drugs have access to such treatment,
and there are almost 1 million AIDS orphans in Nigeria.
Nigeria also struggles with economic crises that undermine support for
the government. Despite its vast oil wealth, problems of corruption, a
flourishing black market, and mismanagement have left Nigeria one of the
poorest countries in the world: about 37% of the population lives in extreme
poverty. The Niger River Delta, a significant oil-producing region, has
long been the site of conflict, in part over the need to redirect more
oil revenues for the benefit of local people. Continuing poverty, crime,
corruption, and environmental degradation in the Delta region, along with
the rise of a new, better-armed and organized militant group, the Movement
for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), threaten Nigeria's social
stability and economic development. A wave of kidnappings and violence
in the region has cut Nigeria's oil revenues by 25 % in 2007. Aside from
releasing oil militant leader Moujahid Dokubo-Asari, President Yar'Adua
has taken few steps to follow through on his promise of achieving reconciliation
and justice for the region.
With respect to Nigeria's
foreign debt, in a deal reached in 2005 with members of the Paris Club
of rich country creditors, $18 billion of Nigeria's debt was written off.
In exchange, Nigeria agreed to make a payment of $12 billion. This substantial
payment siphoned government money away from other pressing domestic concerns,
such as addressing extreme poverty and responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
International financial institutions still claim $2.6 billion in debt
from Nigeria's federal and state governments.
A long-term view of U.S.-Nigerian relations must confront fundamental
issues of democracy, conflict resolution, resource use, the environment,
and poverty. Nigeria's interests are in harnessing the country's wealth
to contribute to development while building a stable democratic political
system. U.S. long-term interests are the same. The U.S. should support
fair, transparent and democratic election processes in future polls and
provide financial and logistical assistance to independent election tribunals.
In the Delta, the U.S. should encourage Nigerian government negotiations
with the Niger Delta groups and push oil companies toward greater transparency
about revenues and payments.
If the U.S. wants to help promote stability and development in Nigeria,
Washington must look beyond Nigeria's oil and consider its people and
their environment. Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period
of civilian rule since independence. Though the country still faces significant
challenges, with international support, this African superpower can make
steady progress toward securing democracy, and achieving stability and
prosperity for its people.
Links
A Strategy of Extraction: Africa’s Resource Challenge – A Case Study of Oil and the Niger Delta
BBC - Chronology of Key Events - Nigeria
Nigeria's Failed Elections -- International Crisis Group
"Crisis Group May 2007 report outlines the threats to Nigeria’s stability and democracy the country now faces after the corrupt presidential election. . ."
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Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Univ of Pennsylvania, African Studies Center - Nigeria Page
Economist.com Country Briefing - Nigeria
Nigerian Newspapers
Latest news from IRINnews.org
Latest news from AllAfrica.com
Basic information on Nigeria (CIA World Factbook)
U.S. & Nigeria: Thinking about Oil
January 2003 - Salih Booker & William Minter, Great Decisions
“After years of internal conflict and military rule, oil-rich Nigeria is once again one of Africa's most influential nations. Yet it still confronts staggering poverty and corruption. If the U.S. wants to help, Washington must look beyond Nigeria's oil and consider its people and their environment.” – This article was published as one chapter in Great Decisions 2003, a briefing book published by the Foreign Policy Association.
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Evaluating Democracy in Nigeria
February 19, 2002 - Q & A with Jim Clancy, CNN
Interview with Salih Booker
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Library of Congress - Country Study on Nigeria
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