NIGERIAN UNITY: IN THE BALANCE, Nigeria On The Verge Of Another Civil War, US Report Warns Nigeria REPORT CONCLUSION Nigeria’s future as a unified entity is under threat along distinct and identifiable fault lines. These threats are reflections of internally generated centrifugal forces that compete with the counterbalancing centripetal forces that have held Nigeria together since it was formed. However, new factors have greatly frayed the Nigerian union. Religion has increasingly become more divisive in Nigeria and has exacerbated tension along the fault lines. The concentration of vast petroleum wealth has exercised a tremendous disruptive force on the economy and the government. The explosive growth of corruption may well hollow out the Nigerian state as it destroys the economic and political systems that support it. Nevertheless, there are powerful centripetal forces at work. Regional and ethnic groups fear domination by other neighboring groups without the protection of a unified state. The Biafran War and local clashes have made clear the potential cost of separation. For most groups, it is still more economically advantageous to share in the larger national economy. Long-standing cultural, historical, and economic ties still bind the country together. Although not yet robust, there has been an evolution of a national consciousness within a common historical experience and a shared English-speaking culture. If centrifugal forces triumph over centripetal forces, U.S. interests will be damaged. Under grave threat of devolution, Nigeria’s integrity and prosperity are not only possible, but also can be positively influenced with judicious U.S. policies and should be a priority for U.S. policymakers. Although Nigeria’s fate is primarily in Nigerian hands, it can be positively affected by American actions. Nigeria’s future is in balance and the United States should help tip the scales. By helping Nigerians protect Nigerian interests, it will help protect its own.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 15:17:51 +0000
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