Nathalie November 25, 2013 Ruby Time outside class: about 1½ hours

Struggle and Conflict

Factors faces many challenges, specifically crippling poverty that affects 45% of the population, terrorism, ethno-religious violence, and governmental corruption. As a result of poor governmental leadership, corruption, debt, and religious disputes, Nigeria finds itself in an uncomfortable position. Much of the ethno- religious violence stems from Boko Haram, a terrorist group seeking to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria by overthrowing the government and replacing it with a regime based on Islamic laws. They began overtaking northern Nigeria with bombings, arsons, and shootings. Many speculate that Boko Haram is a conspiracy devised by the government and President Goodluck Jonathan. Since 2009, Boko Haram has been connected to over 4,700 deaths, adding anxiety to an already violent situation. Oil has also played a large role in the poverty of Nigeria. Nearly two thirds of Nigeria’s population lives in absolute poverty (they have just enough to not die). Oil has made government the best business venture in Nigeria; and oil, not taxes, account for most of the country’s revenue. A recent newspaper article estimated that since 2010, $31 billion have disappeared from the Nigerian government.

Historical Events Islamic merchants began arriving in Nigeria in the 11th century. The king first adopted Christianity in 1370. Kano then became a large hub of trade and a large industrial and agricultural center. Things only began heating up when the Emir of Kano opposed Nigeria’s independence in 1960. This resulted in roughly half of all Nigerians becoming Muslim, mainly living in the north. Both the Emir and the British began limiting Western education in the north, but allowed in Christians from the south. To make matters worse, Kano’s fortunes began to slide in the late 1970’s, magnifying all of the problems Kano faced: lack of development, infrastructure, and oil. Ethnic tensions began to rise steeply, and then Boko Haram came in, creating even greater complications. Oil has also made Nigerian officials greedy. Governor ’s term ended in 2003, after which he was indicted for embezzling $7.5 million in state funds. He was not prosecuted and later reelected in 2011. In a country where only 50% of women and can read and only a quarter of homes have access to electricity, education should be a primary concern. The first six years of education are mandatory, although almost half of all children do not attend school to help their families at home. Few students have computers or computer skills, which may turn out to be necessary in the 21st century. One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a U.S. nonprofit organization, recently selected to test laptops in schools, hoping the Nigerian government would adopt the program, but to no avail. The program was dropped and the laptops were taken away. While the country was busy focusing on oil, matters such as roads and education became neglected and forgotten. Though the nation has promising plans, they have met many political and financial obstructions, preventing them from reaching their goals.

Innovation and Infrastructure The real problems in Nigeria can be found in the extreme poverty and war. Children cannot get an education because they cannot pay, and must work at home, preventing them from going to school. In parts of the country where violence rules, people become swept up in the ferocity of Boko Haram and take action, which does not help the problem. A civil society activist in Kano even stated: “Nigerians refuse to say the groups name aloud, referring to it as ‘the situation’…people don’t even trust their neighbors anymore, anyone can be Boko Haram.” The pain and fear is very real. While many systems and programs have been set up to help ease the effects of terrorism and poverty, nothing can reverse it, and thus, they have failed. Disease and malnutrition are among the most prominent health concerns. Although war cannot be stopped by one humble action or object, Nigeria is in dire need of other infrastructure to help its people. Nigeria needs simple things like flushing toilets and libraries, items that would be very easy to introduce. Introducing better public toilets and septic tanks can solve the practice of open defecation, which would increase sanitation and help prevent disease. Nigerian water performance scores are significantly worse than it’s sanitation scores, but this to can be solved with the use of wells. One in four Nigerians rely on surface water without any better alternative, escalating the risk of water-borne illnesses such as cholera. If Nigeria introduced more wells to reach water deeper in the earth, disease rates would go down tremendously. Nigeria also needs better libraries for educational purposes. Children are not receiving the necessary skills such as computer skills that will become imperative to becoming successful in the 21st century. By introducing libraries, better toilets, and wells, Nigeria can be a far more successful nation.

"Homepage." Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. .

Verini, James, and Ed Kashi. "The War for Nigeria." National Geographic MagazineNov. 2013: 86-107. Print.

"NCTC.gov - 2013 Counterterrorism Calendar." NCTC.gov - 2013 Counterterrorism Calendar. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. .