Nigeria: Introduction

The report outlines Nigeria's transition from an agricultural exporter to an oil-dependent economy, detailing the impact of military rule and subsequent civilian administrations on its development. It highlights systemic issues including extreme poverty, corruption, and security threats, while noting recent reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at economic stabilisation.

• The Nigerian state consolidated control over the oil sector between 1973 and 1977, moving from minority participation to majority control (55%) and eventually forming the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to manage state interests.
• Heavy reliance on oil exports created a political economy that marginalized other productive sectors, fostered political patronage through import licenses, and led to environmental damage and social tensions in the Niger Delta.
• Despite being Africa's largest crude oil exporter and holding the continent's largest natural gas reserves, Nigeria faces severe challenges, including ranking 161st out of 193 countries in the 2024 UN Human Development Index and having the world's third-largest population living in extreme poverty.
• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who took office on 29 May 2023, has implemented reforms to revitalize the economy, specifically the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of exchange rates to attract foreign investment.

APA

Yeboua, K., & Cilliers, J. (2026). Nigeria: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=NG&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Yeboua, Kouassi, and Jakkie Cilliers. Nigeria: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=NG&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yeboua |first1=Kouassi |last2=Cilliers |first2=Jakkie |title=Nigeria: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=15 June 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=NG&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yeboua2026nigeria, author = {Yeboua, Kouassi and Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Nigeria: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=NG&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }