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Africa in Transition

Africa in Transition. Politics, Culture, Agriculture, Anthropology, Education. Presented by The Office of International Outreach Texas A&M University. Nigeria today. Geography. Federal Capital – Abuja Area – 923,768.64sq.km Population – Aprox. 140mil National Day – October 1

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Africa in Transition

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  1. Africa in Transition Politics, Culture, Agriculture, Anthropology, Education Presented by The Office of International Outreach Texas A&M University

  2. Nigeria today

  3. Geography • Federal Capital – Abuja • Area – 923,768.64sq.km • Population – Aprox. 140mil • National Day – October 1 • System of Government – Presidential • Major Languages – Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa • Official Language - English

  4. Regional Division 1947

  5. British Post Colonial Gift The Impact North – Indirect rule South – Direct rule Indirect rule: Use of existing tribal structures and traditions as conduits for establishing rules and regulations.  Direct rule: European officials called the shots for themselves by establishing and administering the rules and regulations for their colonial subjects.

  6. Historical Background Oct. 1, 1960 - Britain grants independence with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Norther) as prime minister. 1963 - Nigeria becomes a republic – Azikiwe (Southerner) President. 1966 - Nigeria's first coup ends civilian rule – Ironsi (Military Head of State from the south - Ibo) May 1967 - Following a series of massacres of ethnic Ibos from the east of Nigeria, the eastern region tries to secede under name of Biafra, Jan. 1970 - Civil war ends with defeat of secessionist Biafra. July 1975 - Gowon toppled in coup bringing Brigadier Murtala Mohammed to power. Feb. 1976 - Mohammed is assassinated in an abortive coup. Oct. 1979 - Obasanjo steers country to elections. Shehu Shagari becomes civilian president. 1983 - Elections marred by widespread cheating. Months later General Muhammadu Buhari takes over from Shagari in an almost bloodless coup. Aug. 1985 - Bloodless coup brings General Ibrahim Babangida to power. June 1993 - Babangida annuls presidential election as businessman Moshood Abiola is poised to win. Babangida steps down and names an interim government which is overthrown in November by its defence minister, General Sani Abacha. June 1998 - Abacha dies suddenly as he heads towards presidential elections as the sole candidate. General Abdulsalami Abubakar assumes power and promises to restore civilian rule by May 1999. Feb. 1999 - Obasanjo, Yoruba (southerner) now a civilian, wins presidential election with 63 percent of the vote.

  7. Current Politics President Olusegun Obasanjo “His answer to the massive communal and religious unrest across the country has been to use the army to control localized disturbances.” Dan Isaacs, BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1804940.stm

  8. Current Politics cont:- Feb 1999 – Obasanjo sworn into office after a presidential election. Became the first Southerner to rule Nigeria after 25yrs. Of military rule. 2000 - Thousands of people are killed throughout northern Nigeria as non-Muslims opposed to the reinforcement of Islamic Sharia law fight with Muslims who demand its implementation. May 2003 - Obasanjo is sworn in for a second and final four-year term after elections which international and local observers say were marred by widespread rigging. May 2006 - Senate votes against a proposal to amend constitutional term limits, preventing Obasanjo from seeking a third term. March 2007 - The Independent National Electoral Commission presents a list of 24 candidates for the presidential elections due on April 21. Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is omitted on the grounds of an indictment for fraud which he contests in court. April 14 – Governorships and state assemblies are set for April 14. April 21, 2007 - The presidential and National Assembly elections

  9. April 2007 Presidential Election • 3 major parties out of the 24 candidates • -PDP Northerner • -ANPP Northerner • -AC Northerner • 61mil registered voters • Of this number • PDP – 24.6mil • ANPP – 6.6mil • AC – aprox 2.6mil • INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) declares PDP, the ruling govt party candidate as the winner. • Opposition candidates are protesting and may go to the electoral tribunal • Declared winner may be sworn in on May 29, 2007

  10. A Wealth of Resources Greatest Oil Reserves by Country, 2006 Source:Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 103, No. 47 (Dec. 19, 2005). From: U.S. Energy Information Administration. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/petroleu.html .

  11. Where Does the Money Go? Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the fifth largest supplier of oil to the United States. The country produces 2.4 million barrels a day and has the capacity to produce up to 4 million barrels a day by 2010. Nigerian oil is sought after since it is relatively effortless to produce and has a low sulphur content, making it easy to refine.

  12. Corruption • “Corruption is often at the very root of why governments do not work.” Wolfowitz • Inept supply of electricity in spite of so called massive injection of fund • -Anti-corruption campaign – how many arrests? Other than instituting at the request of World Bank for debt forgiveness, what benefit? • -There are still instances where teachers go without pay for some months even when the funds are said to be there. What is the government doing about this? • -What about pipe borne water? • There are however other areas where the government made good stride. For example: • it has worked very hard in putting a clamp on the importation of adulterated drugs • It negotiated with the Paris Club to reduce Nigeria’s debt to the World Bank resulting in excess foreign reserve.

  13. Consequences of Greed Jobs Education Poverty Crime Disease Exodus of professionals

  14. Hope for the Future • The future is bright • Another civilian administration better than the military • Challenge for new administration 1. Power sharing 2. Indigeneity clause 3. Jobs/security

  15. Hope for the Future • In 1983, Chinua Achebe wrote, "The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. • The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example, which are the hallmarks of true leadership."

  16. Nigeria Presented by Paul Obiazi

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