As the "Giant of Africa," Nigeria is home to about twenty percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa, serves as Africa's largest producer of oil and natural gas, comprises Africa's largest economy, and represents the cultural center of African literature, film, and music. Yet it is plagued by problems that keep it from realizing its potential as a world power. Boko Haram, a radical, Islamist insurrection centered in the northeast of the country, is a pervasive security challenge, as is the continuous restiveness in the Niger Delta, the heartland of Nigeria's petroleum wealth. The former seeks to destroy the secular Nigerian state; the latter reflects the popular sentiment in the region that the Nigerian people are entitled to a greater share of the wealth it produces. There is also persistent violence associated with land and water use, ethnicity, and religion.
In Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know®, John Campbell and Matthew Page provide a rich contemporary overview of this crucial African country. Delving into Nigeria's recent history, politics, and culture, this volume tackles essential questions related to widening inequality stemming from Nigeria's oil wealth, its historic 2015 presidential election, the persistent security threat of Boko Haram, rampant government corruption, human rights concerns, and the continual conflicts that arise in a country that is roughly half Christian and half Muslim.
With its continent-wide influence in a host of areas, Nigeria's success as a democracy is in the fundamental interest of its African neighbors, the United States, and the international community. This book will provide interested readers with an accessible, one-of-a-kind overview of this significant country.
Introduction
1. Why this book?
2. What is a Nigerian?
3. What challenges does Nigeria face?
4. What is Nigeria's promise?
Historical Background
5. Before it was a European colony, what did Nigeria look like?
6. What was Nigeria's colonial experience and how did it win independence?
7. What caused the Nigerian Civil War and why is it still important?
8. What lessons can we learn from the fall of the Second Republic?
9. Why did military rule Nigeria for so long and what was its legacy?
10. Who are Nigeria's most important historical figures?
The Economics of Oil
11. How big is the Nigerian economy and what does it look like?
12. How does Nigeria's oil and gas sector work?
13. Have Nigerians benefited from the country's enormous oil wealth?
14. How can Nigeria grow its economy?
15. How does Nigeria fit into the global economy?
16. What does the future of Nigeria's economy look like?
Religion
17. How religious are Nigerians?
18. Does Nigeria have a dominant religion and how do its different faiths interact?
19. How has Islam in Nigeria been changing?
20. What makes Nigerian Christianity unique?
Politics: Nigeria's Great Game
21. How does Nigeria's federal system work?
22. How powerful is Nigeria's president?
23. Are there checks and balances on presidential power?
24. Why do state governors matter?
25. How pervasive is official corruption?
26. How effective are efforts to combat corruption?
27. What distinguishes Nigeria's two dominant political parties?
28. Are Nigerian elections free and fair?
29. What is a day in the life of a Nigerian politician like?
30. Other than the ballot box, how can Nigerians influence politics?
31. Are women a force in Nigerian politics?
Nigeria's Security Challenges
32. What are Nigeria's top security challenges?
33. What is Boko Haram and why has it become so deadly?
34. What are the roots of Niger Delta militancy?
35. Why has communal conflict killed so many Nigerians?
36. What are the Nigerian Army's strengths and weaknesses?
37. Why are vigilantes prevalent in Nigeria?
Nigeria and the World
38. How does Nigeria view its role in the world? In Africa?
39. What are Nigeria's relations with Washington and London like?
40. What is China's relationship with Nigeria?
41. Where is the Nigerian diaspora and why is it so influential?
42. Does Nigeria have a human rights problem?
Nigeria of the Future
43. How are Nigerian cities evolving?
44. How will social media and information technology transform Nigerian politics and governance?
45. How will climate change impact Nigeria?
46. What happens when Nigeria's oil runs out?
"Nigeria, by Campbell (former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria) and Page (Ctr. for Democracy and Development; U.S. intelligence expert on Nigeria), covers the history, economics, religion, politics, security, and future of Africa's most populated country. The authors also look at Boko Haram, the 2015 presidential election, and more ... With India in the 21st Century, Kamdar (international affairs, New York Times; Planet India; Motiba's Tattoos) explores similar topics, examining the nation's rich history and current challenges, from climate change to socioeconomic inequality. VERDICT Succinct, nonpartisan coverage of two rapidly changing countries, these volumes will be helpful prior to business- or education-related travel, or for gaining greater understanding of either area." -- Library Journal
ISBN : 9780190657987
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