Nigeria

List of Nigeria articles

Two people sit at a bus stop in front of a billboard that features an image of Tinubu and Shettima with the slogan "The team to reconnect Nigeria."
Two people sit at a bus stop in front of a billboard that features an image of Tinubu and Shettima with the slogan "The team to reconnect Nigeria."

The Revolutionary Potential of the ‘Lagos Model’

Bola Tinubu turned Lagos into a great city. Can he transform all of Nigeria?

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stands at the center of a group of guests and security personnel with his fist raised in the air. He is wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a white robe.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stands at the center of a group of guests and security personnel with his fist raised in the air. He is wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a white robe.

Nigeria’s Last General Departs the Political Stage

Democracy is holding despite social and regional divisions.

A man walks past campaign banner of Lagos gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos, on March 7.
A man walks past campaign banner of Lagos gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos, on March 7.

Is the Party Over in Nigeria?

Personality rules in a country where political parties were once kingmakers.

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu (C-L) and his wife Oluremi Tinubu (C-R) arrive to vote at a polling station in Lagos on Feb. 25.
All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu (C-L) and his wife Oluremi Tinubu (C-R) arrive to vote at a polling station in Lagos on Feb. 25.

Nigeria’s Kingmakers Are Still in Control

Divisive politics and historical power structures helped Bola Tinubu win.

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Amatutu, Nigeria, on Feb. 25.
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in Amatutu, Nigeria, on Feb. 25.

Nigeria’s Flawed Election Risks a Democratic Backslide

The international community cannot afford to give up on Nigeria’s vast democratic promise.

Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu (R) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu (L) look on during the presentation of the certificate of return to the president-elect by the INEC in Abuja on March 1.
Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu (R) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Mahmood Yakubu (L) look on during the presentation of the certificate of return to the president-elect by the INEC in Abuja on March 1.

It’s Tinubu’s Turn to Fix Nigeria’s Broken System

For the president-elect to make the next four years a success for Nigeria, he’ll have to create a new political ethos for his country.

A man reads newspaper at a newsstand as candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu is declared president-elect after the presidential election in Lagos, on March 1.
A man reads newspaper at a newsstand as candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu is declared president-elect after the presidential election in Lagos, on March 1.

Bola Tinubu’s Pyrrhic Victory

Nigeria’s new president will immediately face pressures from within his party, the opposition, and the majority of voters who didn’t back him.

People watch an Independent National Electoral Commission official in Nigeria.
People watch an Independent National Electoral Commission official in Nigeria.

U.S. Hailed Nigeria Election Results While Election Observers Cried Foul

When and how Washington congratulates foreign leaders on contentious election victories matters.

Voters look for their names on a voter roll at a polling station in Abuja on Feb. 25.
Voters look for their names on a voter roll at a polling station in Abuja on Feb. 25.

Tensions Escalate After Nigeria Election Results

Former President Obasanjo warns: “Danger looming ahead.”

A man walks past a mural depicting Labour Party  presidential candidate Peter Obi in Awka, Nigeria, on Feb. 24.
A man walks past a mural depicting Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Awka, Nigeria, on Feb. 24.

What Would It Mean for Nigeria to Elect an Igbo President?

Peter Obi doesn’t want to be defined by his ethnicity. But in a country still haunted by the Biafran War, his election would be a symbolic milestone.

Rickshaws drive past a campaign billboard for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other party candidates along a road in Kano, northwestern Nigeria, on Feb. 8.
Rickshaws drive past a campaign billboard for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other party candidates along a road in Kano, northwestern Nigeria, on Feb. 8.

What Nigeria’s Next President Can Learn From China

The country’s hope lies in the example of a rapidly reforming China at the turn of the 1980s.

Drivers wait in line to buy fuel at a gas station in Lagos, Nigeria, on Jan. 30.
Drivers wait in line to buy fuel at a gas station in Lagos, Nigeria, on Jan. 30.

Will Nigeria’s Cash Chaos Impact Elections?

Less than two weeks before the tightest presidential vote in Nigeria’s history, the country is running short on cash, gas, and patience.

Two soldiers are seen from the back on a dirt road.
Two soldiers are seen from the back on a dirt road.

Nigeria’s Alleged Forced Abortion Campaign Demands Action

For too long, the international community has ignored the Nigerian military’s abuses.

A bronze sculpture of a woman's head sits on a pedestal behind glass in a museum.
A bronze sculpture of a woman's head sits on a pedestal behind glass in a museum.

What Europe Stole From Africa

Imperial powers didn’t just steal art and artifacts. They stole Africa’s future.

A girl walks in front of electoral posters in support of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party at Ribadu Square, Jimeta, Adamawa State, Nigeria where the PDP is set to hold a rally, on February 14, 2019.
A girl walks in front of electoral posters in support of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party at Ribadu Square, Jimeta, Adamawa State, Nigeria where the PDP is set to hold a rally, on February 14, 2019.

2023’s Most Important Election Isn’t Where You Think

Why the world’s eyes will be—or should be—on Nigeria in the coming weeks.

A Labour Party supporter holds a placard during a campaign rally in Ibadan, Nigeria, on Nov. 23.
A Labour Party supporter holds a placard during a campaign rally in Ibadan, Nigeria, on Nov. 23.

What to Watch in Africa in 2023

Nigeria’s pivotal elections and other trends that will shape the continent next year.

Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site
Hero-podcast-women-gender-foreign-policy-gates-foundation-1500x1000_site

How Nigerian Women Change Social Norms Through Film

Nigeria has one of the world’s biggest film industries. Like Hollywood, women are underrepresented behind the camera. But that’s shifting.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari attend a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 4.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari attend a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 4.

Will the U.N. Tax Convention Empower Africa?

Global tax reforms resisted by richer nations could reduce reliance on tax havens and bring much-needed revenue to African governments.

Supporters of presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi and running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed march during a campaign rally in Lagos, on Oct. 1.
Supporters of presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi and running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed march during a campaign rally in Lagos, on Oct. 1.

Nigeria’s Young Voters Are Backing an Outsider for President

Peter Obi belongs to the Igbo minority and lacks a major party platform, but he promises a break from the country’s corrupt gerontocracy.

An aerial view of rising waters around the Numan bridge is seen in the Numan community of Adamawa State, Nigeria, on Sept. 25.
An aerial view of rising waters around the Numan bridge is seen in the Numan community of Adamawa State, Nigeria, on Sept. 25.

Floods Devastate West Africa

Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger due to government failures to invest in preventive infrastructure.

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