Nigeria, a country that exalts itself as the “Giant of Africa”, viewed by neighboring countries as “big in words, little in action,” has an opportunity to walk softly, but carry a big stick. Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, which operates in the northern states of Nigeria, has arguably gained control of the area and has incited fear in many of northern Nigeria’s citizens. Violence has spread like wildfire in parts of Nigeria, and people are asking, “is Nigeria capable of dealing with an insurgency of this level?”, and “If Nigeria is being significantly threatened by a group as loosely organized, but as deadly, as Boko Haram, what chance do we have to contain an insurgency?” Nigeria has the potential to be an economic powerhouse of Africa, which undoubtedly will influence other nations in the immediate area. This potential can be fully realized, and expanded upon, if Nigeria is able to deal with forces that aim to cripple it. This assessment will evaluate the internal threats that Nigeria faces, analyze the regional impact that Nigeria has on the continent of Africa, and demonstrate cause and effects.
Threats
The northern portion of Nigeria faces a formidable threat from the Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram. Boko Haram has managed to undeniably gain control over entire cities in northern Nigeria through extreme acts of brazen violence and intimidation. Boko Haram established itself to combat the influence of western civilization and establish a Muslim dominant, Sharia law based government in Nigeria. Multiple mass casualty incidents have been claimed by or attributed to Boko Haram and, in some incidents, independent groups that have claimed to be part of Boko Haram. The biggest threat that Boko Haram poses is a detrimental im...
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The terrorist threat posed to United States (U.S.) interests within the Horn of Africa (HOA) is represented by one terrorist organization in particular, al-Shabaab. Areas of concern towards key strategic interests for the U.S. consist of armed conflicts, violent extremism, global trade, and maritime security in which al-Shabaab possess an influential capacity to disrupt, which effects political, economic, and social stability throughout region. As countries within the HOA continue to gain strategic importance to U.S. interest and policy makers, al-Shabaab and the various entities they collaborate with affect the stability of the region and remain a prevalent threat.
Gambrel, Jon. “Nigerian Rebels Seize Seven Oil Workers”. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 21 Nov, 2011 from
Terrorist organizations in Somalia, located within the Horn of Africa, present a current threat to the region and to United States (U.S.) interests. This paper will address the implication of a terrorist network within Somalia by analyzing the actions and motivations of Al-Shabab, the Somali Government, and the United States. Al-Shabab is gathering support by using religion, undermining the Somali Government, and by providing jobs and opportunities for the people of Somalia. If Al-Shabab continues growing in power it could lead to more extreme terrorists attacks in Somalia and the region.
In this section, I will provide a brief history of U.S. military involvement on the African continent, starting with the Barbary Wars and working up through the current date. This historical documentation will highlight the change in the role the United States has played in Africa [post 9-11???]. Prior to 9-11, the United States’ interactions were mainly [capture summary here]. Since [?], however, the continent has faced a marked increase in violent extremism and terrorism leading the United States to partner with many African nations in counterterrorism initiatives. These, and other initiatives, mean an increasing number U.S. service members are deploying to Africa to take part in training, humanitarian issues and military operations. These military activities are run by United States African Command, a recently created combatant command.
Niger, home of the free flowing Niger River, is a Sub-Saharan, western African nation. Sadly, it is an extremely poor country because part of the country is desert and less than 3% open for crop use. The present economic situation is bleak at best. Yet, the vibrant tradition and history of this country lives today in its tribes and its people even through all of its adversities. From severe droughts to military coups to a dysfunctional government to the culture has stayed strong.
...at shocked me through all these articles is how there weren’t a single positive story about Nigeria. I had to get to the third page before I found something that was “kind of positive” about Nigeria. These definitely illustrate what the speaker was saying about single stories. Also 8 out of 10 stories where related to Boko haram. Therefore it won’t be a surprise for me to hear that people believe that Boko haram is the daily cup of tea. I didn’t really found anything that was directly related to the chapter because most of the stories were about BOKO haram crisis. The only thing that I found related to the chapter was how the Biafra war that has opposed the three major’s ethnics groups: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausas is still reflecting on the actual Nigerian crisis. In the north were these crisis are occurring, only certain ethnic groups or religious groups are attacked.
Lagos- is city, which is located in the coast of West Africa. Lagos is the most
During the colonial period in Nigeria (from about 1850 to 1960), the British, like any other colonial power, asserted their dominance through a variety of media. The colonial experience of Nigeria and Britain, and Nigeria's early post-colonial history can be described, roughly chronologically, in three phases or periods: the formation of a ‘captured' colony, the education and inculcation of ‘proper,' British ways (i.e., the ‘taming' of the colony), and the immediate aftermath of colonialism (i.e., the ‘independence' of the colony). This essay attempts to scrutinize these periods in the light of the theories of Karl Marx, Ernest Gellner, and Jack Snyder. My claim is that Nigeria's colonial relationship with Britain, in general, reflects Marx's theory of the dichotomy between the oppressor and the oppressed, Gellner's theory that domination and oppression is disseminated through educational means, and Snyder's theory on the risks and dangers that young, ‘immature' … countries face when they gamble on democracy
...esult, 1000 civilians died, but majority of the fundamentalist group was taken out. In 2009, Goodluck Jonathan assumed presidency when Umaru Yar’Adu died (BBC News Africa, 2013). In 2011 elections, Goodluck Jonathan took majority of the vote against military opponent, Muhammadu Buhari. Observers have stated this election is the most fair it has ever been in history, but Buhari’s supporters opposed the results. Quickly after, the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, made resurgence and there were daily attacks in the country. As a result, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency and dispatched troops. In January 2012, Goodluck Jonathan removed the country’s fuel subsidy to repair the tattered economy, but only caused fuel and food prices to rise. In response to the rise of prices, Nigerians began to protest, which eventually led to reinstating the subsidy.
Political instability and regime change in Nigeria will be observed in this paper. The resource curse has greatly weakened Nigeria as it has led to the numerous regime changes, the hindering of the nation’s democratization, corruption in the government, as well as, civil conflict. According to Samuels in Case Studies in Comparative Politics, Nigeria began as a group of states and empires, which were conquered by the British Empire who ruled Nigeria through indirect rule with varying degrees of rule in North and South Nigeria (Samuels, 323-326). Since they were granted independence in 1960, three republics have been created and each has ended by military rule, which led to the creation of the fourth, and current republic in Nigeria. In the current regime, Nigeria’s GDP is ranked 108 out of 156 and has been decreasing, lower than some of the non-oil-producing nations in Africa (“Nigeria”).
Boko Haram has recently been in international news including South Africa. The most recent of attacks was on a church where Attackers armed with heavy ammunition and explosives killed twenty-two people in a northeast Nigerian city. They set off many bombs and fired shots into the masses during the attack on the church in Waga Chakawa in Adamawa, before burning residents houses and taking hostages during a four-hour bloody siege. Boko Haram wants to impose sharia law, and wants to split Nigeria equally between Christians and Muslims, Boko Haram has killed thousands of people over the past four-and-a-half years, and is considered one of the biggest security risk in the largest oil producer in Africa and second largest economy in Africa after South Africa.
Nigeria is a developing country in West Africa that was colonized by the British in 1884 at the Berlin conference where Africa was divided by European powers (Graham 2009). The British wanted to expand their empire, which meant taking over other countries that had resources that they wanted, and would allow them to expand their trade market and economy. One of the colonies that British colonized was Colonial Nigeria, which was forced to participate in the slave trade in the past and was controlled by the British through the set up of trading posts and selling manufactured goods. The British split Nigeria into the north and the south regions (Temple 1912). The Southern and Northern Nigeria Protectorates controlled these two regions.
Ghana: The Gold Coast of Africa The Gold Coast, now known as Ghana, is one of many civilizations of Africa. It was a British Colony until March 6, 1957, when it became independent as the State of Ghana. In 1471, the Portuguese invaded this area and became involved in gold trade, giving the region the name, The Gold Coast.
While the outside world considered Nigeria to be a united and monolithic entity, even the British colonial administration was wary of the reality of Nigerian politics; the nation was not so much a “country” as it was more than three hundred different groups coalesced into one.4 5 These tribes were divided between three main spheres of influence: the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa. Historically, their interests were often opposed, and their cultures did not come into regular contact with one another until the British occupation. In spite of the differences British administration a...
Civilians find themselves without stable shelter wondering around the streets in hope for a better life. In rare cases some people do find their way around the chaos but it never lasts too long. Africa severally suffers from mob attacks. The main conflicting mobs in Africa currently go by the name of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. Boko Haram first originated in 1995 under another name called The Shabaab. Boko Haram is an Islamic jihadist militant organization based in the northeast of Nigeria. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001, the organization seeks to establish a pure Islamic state ruled by Sharia law. The group is known for attacking Christians and government targets, bombing