Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNDERSTAND NIGERIA
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Nigeria Today
After years of coups and military rule, Nigeria now has an elected leadership - internation-
al bodies declared President Goodluck Jonathan's 2011 victory as relatively free of violen-
ce and voter fraud. And Nigeria's explosive economic growth - due almost entirely to the
influx of oil money - has ushered in a time of leaps in modernisation and development. But
these advances haven't addressed entrenched government mismanagement, inaction and
corruption. Images of barefoot children hawking fruit alongside slick SUVs are a reminder
that new wealth doesn't often trickle down. While Lagos is awash in glitz, once outside
major cities people often live as they did a hundred years ago.
In addition, President Goodluck Jonathan's government faces the challenge of stemming
the jihadist-fueled violence of northern separatist group Boko Haram, who seek to over-
throw the government and establish an Islamic state. The conflict has taken the lives of
thousands in attacks that break along ethnic and religious fault lines.
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History
Early Nigeria
Northern and southern Nigeria are essentially two different countries, and their histories re-
flect this disparity. The first recorded empire to flourish in this part of West Africa was
Kanem-Borno around Lake Chad, which grew rich from the trans-Saharan trade routes.
Islamic states based in the Hausa cities of Kano, Zaria and Nupe also flourished at this
time.
Meanwhile, the southwest developed into a patchwork of small states, often dominated
by the Yoruba. The Ijebu kingdom rose in the 10th century and constructed the mysterious
earthworks at Sungbo's Eredo. Most famously the Benin kingdom became an important
centre of trade and produced some of the finest metal artwork in Africa. In the southeast,
the Igbo and other agrarian peoples never developed any centralised empires, instead form-
ing loose confederations.
