Country Profile
From The Report: Nigeria 2013
View in Online Reader

One of Africa’s most culturally and ethnically diverse as well as resource-rich countries, Nigeria’s very existence is in many ways an impressive accomplishment, testament to the ability of both its citizens and institutions to find ways – often unconventional – to balance the need for local empowerment and diversity with broader national unity. Political cohesion has not come without a price, and the country has long faced a variety of complex economic and security challenges at both local and federal levels. Nigeria has a dynamic multiparty political system, with 25 registered political parties of varying ideological stripes, however, the People’s Democratic Party has held the presidency and dominated the legislature since the first elections in 1999. The country is currently engaged in several important conflict resolution efforts, some of which have seen promising turns.

This chapter contains interviews with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs for India; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Former President of Brazil and Honorary President, Lula Institute; and Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Ibrahim Foundation.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Wider focus: Improved governance and socioeconomic equality can aid development in the longer term
OBG
plus

As the single most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria is widely expected to overtake South Africa as the largest economy on the continent within a matter of years. Increasingly, it is overhauling its markets – whether in electricity or rail – to improve efficiency, and growth has been robust even through the depths of the recent global slowdown. However, Nigeria still faces significant challenges, some of which stem from its geographical size and ethnic diversity, and it will be some…

Interview

A source of strength: OBG talks to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
OBG
plus

Interview: GoodluckEbele Jonathan What can the government do in order to tackle the challenge of youth unemployment? GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN: Between 2007 and 2012 unemployment maintained an upward trend across several regions of the globe, including the so-called advanced economies, the Eurozone, the MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. In some of the aforementioned regions, economic crisis drove rising unemployment. However, in Nigeria and throughout much of the subcontinent,…

Analysis

A valued partner: Seeking to expand its influence on the regional and international stage
OBG
plus

Despite its occasionally turbulent political history, Nigeria has long been both a regional and international diplomatic force. The country is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional diplomatic and economic bloc of 15 member states with roughly 300m people. It is also a party to a raft of international trade agreements through the World Trade Organisation. Nigeria was a founding member of the Organisation for African Unity, now known as the African Union…

Interview

OBG talks to Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs for India
OBG
plus

Intreview:Shri Salman Khurshid What kind of factors underlie the significant levels of bilateral trade between India and Nigeria? SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID: India’s emergence as Nigeria’s largest trading partner and export destination has been in the making for many decades. The drivers behind this bilateral synergy have been our mutual familiarity, economic complementarity and the compatibility of Indian products and services with Nigerian requirements. As these factors are unlikely to change,…

Analysis

Multilateral challenges: Conflict resolution and peace building remain key priorities for the government
OBG
plus

As one of the continent’s most culturally and ethnically diverse as well as resource-rich countries, Nigeria’s very existence is in many ways an impressive accomplishment, testament to the ability of both its citizens and institutions to find ways – often unconventional – to balance the need for local empowerment and diversity with broader national unity. However, political cohesion has not come without a price, and Nigeria has long faced a variety of complex economic and security…

Interview

OBG talks to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Former President of Brazil and Honorary President, Lula Institute
OBG
plus

Interview:Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva How can labour collaboration foster better rights and a more competitive business environment? LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA: Nigeria and Brazil should forge closer ties not only between the heads of state but also between representative groups in civil society, particularly between the unions. After meeting with the unions during my visit to the country earlier in 2013, I was able to detect the similarities that exist between the struggles and aims of Nigerian…

Interview

OBG talks to Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Ibrahim Foundation
OBG
plus

Interview:Mo Ibrahim How would you rate the current state of Africa’s financial governance regimes? MO IBRAHIM: We are seeing many positive trends on the continent, including greater interest in equities. It is a vote of confidence in Africa and its future, and governance across the board has been improving since 2000. However, investors and businesses must not believe that this is just the responsibility of governments. The importance foreign investors place on better governance and, of…

Interview

OBG talks to Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Ibrahim Foundation
OBG
plus

Interview:Mo Ibrahim How would you rate the current state of Africa’s financial governance regimes? MO IBRAHIM: We are seeing many positive trends on the continent, including greater interest in equities. It is a vote of confidence in Africa and its future, and governance across the board has been improving since 2000. However, investors and businesses must not believe that this is just the responsibility of governments. The importance foreign investors place on better governance and, of…