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.

About the Author
John Campbell is Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, and author of Morning in South Africa and Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink. Matthew T. Page is a fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja and an advisor with Transparency International's London-based Defense and Security Program. He is a former International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and previously served the U.S. intelligence community's top expert on Nigeria.

Reviews
Succinct and expert, the book belongs on the shelf of any student of Africa. * Washington Post *
While discussing the country's numerous challenges, Campbell and Page yet emphasize some optimism about Nigeria's future, signposting in the book's conclusion ways in which the country can unlock its great potential through infrastructure development, anti-corruption crusade, military reform, and empowerment of women, among other strategies. * James Yeku, University of Kansas, African Studies Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190657987
Author John Campbell
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 276g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 144mm * 16mm