What is Nigeria?
Introduction to the countryby Paul Grant
Here are various resources to understand Nigeria. See the index immediately below this introduction.
Nigeria is a West African nation-state forged in the middle of the 20th century from the British Empire. It is an enormous country, with more than 110 million people (more than Mexico) speaking 470 languages. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious conglomeration with the potential to dominate Africa - or to devolve into most bloody civil war imaginable.
Nigeria is a Nation-State. This means it was formed by diplomacy, rather than by "natural" emergence. The ruling colonialist British granted self-rule to this large administrative district in 1960 - so Nigeria is younger than Rock and Roll. The transition to independence followed the Indian model: a highly diverse region with rich history became a country named after a river. This would be akin to carving up parts of France, Germany, Poland and throwing in Spain for good measure, and naming the result "Rhine".
However, Nigeria has managed to stick together, and with relatively little warfare. Gradually, a nation has come to be felt by many of the people, such that a "Nigerian" identity is emerging. But scratch the surface, and a powderkeg is there, ready to explode. The most looming conflict is religious, between Christians and Muslims. While the Western media cultivate their obsession with an alleged "clash of civilizations" between the Arab world and the world of liberal democracy, those in the know look to Nigeria and a few other places (Indonesia, India) to understand the future of conflict in the world. Please pray for peace in this region!
In these pages, you will find several resources for learning.
Nigeria by the Numbers
Books
News
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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