Fifty years ago last Friday, Africa’s most populous country Nigeria became independent from Great Britain. There were three dominant ethnic groups, the Hausa, the Igbo and the Yoruba, and there were significant cultural and political differences between these groups. Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim and Southern Nigeria predominantly Christian. The level of dissatisfaction with the political process grew, and in 1966 there were several military coups.
In 1967 the eastern part of the country attempted to secede and form the Republic of Biafra, leading to a three-year civil war in which one million people were killed. During the 1970s the sale of oil from the Niger Delta led to the inflow of billions of dollars and the subsequent increase in governmental corruption. Since then the country’s economic fortunes have closely followed world prices for oil.
The country remained essentially under military rule until 1999 when the country returned to civilian rule after disputed elections. Best known internationally for its corruption, Nigeria’s major source of income remains oil, which accounts for 40% of GDP and 80% of government revenue. The country has an extensive mobile telecommunications network, a well-developed financial services sector, and a broad range of natural resources. The majority of Nigerians work in the agricultural sector, while the country has a smaller manufacturing sector.