Nigerian history

Nigerian History

 

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with more than 174 million people. The country is split between Muslims and Christians. The Christians live predominately in the south (e.g. the Igbo's - my dad and his family) and the Muslims live mainly in the north (the Hausa and Yoruba's).  Nigeria struggles to govern a diverse nation and the struggle between Christians and Muslims over political power remains a key factor in the ongoing unrest. 

Despite vast wealth in natural resources, Nigeria has one of the world's poorest populations. An estimated 70 percent of the population lives on less than £1.25 a day. The difference between the north and the rest of the country are particularly stark. In the north, 72 percent of people live in poverty, compared to 27 percent in the south and 35 percent in the Niger Delta.

Another crucial factor in economic inequality is oil. The oil is dominated by Muslim elites.

The dispute over the 2011 election results, led to more than eight hundred deaths. Many say northern Nigerians view the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, as illegitimate, arguing that he ignored an informal power-rotation agreement that should have kept a Muslim as president round. (Muslim president Umar Musa Yar'dua died in 2010, two years into his four-year term.) If Jonathan wins the national elections in 2015, or if there are no elections because of the unrest in the North, it is likely that political tensions in Nigeria will increase.

Igbo

My dad's family are Igbo........see below for a link I found which tells you about the Igbo's culture and history

Igbo history 

Boko Haram

Couldn't do with blog without mentioning Boko Haram.  I had never heard of them before I went to Nigeria but a day after I arrived I found out they had bombed a bus station in Abuja (capital of Nigeria) and a couple of days before I left they kidnapped over 200 girls from their school in Chibok, in the northern area. At first only Nigerian's were talking about this but the latter has recently received a lot of international news coverage and Britain, France and the US are trying to assist Nigeria in finding the girls.

My dad, aunties, uncles and family friends would often have heated debates Boko Haram.  I have carried out a bit of research on them since returning from Nigeria and have summarised what I have learnt below.

Boko Haram is an Islamic group and militant and terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria.  The name means western or non Islamic education is a sin.

It was founded by Mohammed Yusuf  in 2002, the organisation seeks to establish a "pure" Islamic state ruled by sharia, putting a stop to what it deems "Westernisation. The present leader is Abubakar Shekau.

Before colonisation and subsequent annexation into the British Empire, the Bornu Empire ruled the territory where Boko Haram is currently active. It was a sovereign sultanate run according to the principles of the Constitution of Medina, with a majority Kanuri Muslim population.

The Bornu Sultanate emerged after the overthrow of the Kanem-Bornu Empire ruled by the Sayfawa dynasty for over 2000 years.

The Bornu Sultanate of the Kanuri is distinct from the Sokoto Caliphate of the Hausa/Fulani established in 1802 by the military conquest of Usman dan Fodio. Both the Bornu Sultanate and Sokoto Caliphate came under control of the British in 1903. During this period Christian missionaries used western education as a tool for evangelism, which has lead to secular education to being viewed with suspicion by many in the local population. Increased dissatisfaction gave rise to many fundamentalists among the Kanuri and other peoples of northeast Nigeria.

We should continue to pray for the safe  return of the girls. 

#bring back out girls