Nigeria Is Coming Apart at the Seams

Crowds of Igbo-speaking people barricade streets across southeastern Nigeria, bringing traffic to a standstill. They wave black, green, and red secessionist flags; distribute their own currency and passports; and demand the creation of a new independent country called Biafra. It could be 1967 — or 2016.

For the 1st time, a Nigerian president lost an election — to a former dictator

In a historic moment for Africa’s most ­populous country, former dictator Muhammadu Buhari won Nigeria’s presidency on Tuesday, the first time in 16 years of democracy that an opposition candidate has defeated a sitting president.

Supporters of Buhari celebrate in Kano. (AP)

Buhari, 72, will assume power in Africa’s richest nation at a time of crippling uncertainty — as public revenue shrinks because of the falling price of oil and the Boko Haram insurgency threatens the country’s northeast. He has fashioned himself as a populist who stands apart from a political class known for its ­exorbitant tastes and high-profile corruption scandals.

Energy In Nigeria: Ghosts Of The Past, Present And Future

If electricity and the management of power sector reforms are key to Nigeria’s economic future, crude oil/gas – and the mismanagement thereof – is at the heart of its current mess. And the decline in oil prices since 2014 constrains Nigeria’s abilities to maneuver at a time when it needs maximum flexibility. Whoever wins the next election, will have to face the ghosts of Nigeria’s energy past, to set the country towards a brighter future. Add to this a volatile security situation, and the next President will face a challenging time. What happens in Nigeria will reverberate across West Africa.

Is Nigeria on the brink of political collapse?

Between falling oil prices and instability in the country’s north linked to a militant insurgency by Boko Haram, Nigeria could be on the brink of social and political collapse. Nigeria must re-invigorate a national effort against the militant group. 

Boko Haram has entered a new phase in its war against Nigeria and its neighbours, as evidenced by the recent spate of attacks against key towns in northern Nigeria. In early January, Boko Haram attacked and occupied the northern Nigerian town of Baga in a brazen attack that resulted in as many as 2000 deaths.

Is Boko Haram More Dangerous Than Ever?

On Nov. 25, Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group from northern Nigeria, attacked a church in Jaji, Kaduna state, using two suicide bombers during the church's weekly religious service. The first bomb detonated in a vehicle driven into the church, and the second detonated approximately 10 minutes later, when a crowd of first responders gathered at the scene. About 30 people were killed in the attacks; the second blast caused the majority of the deaths. The incident was particularly symbolic because Jaji is the home of Nigeria's Armed Forces Command and Staff College, and many of the churchgoers were senior military officers.

In the wake of the Jaji attacks, media reports quoted human rights groups saying that Boko Haram has killed more people in 2012 than ever before. The group has killed roughly 770 people this year, leading many to conclude that Boko Haram has become more dangerous.

Nigeria oil spills: Shell rejects liability claim

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell has rejected claims by four Nigerian farmers that it should pay compensation for damage to their land.

The farmers are suing the company in a civil court in The Hague, claiming oil spills ruined their livelihoods.

Shell's lawyers told the court it could not be held liable because most spills were caused by criminal damage.