Nigeria should be Africa’s powerhouse. It’s Africa’s largest oil producer and the 6th highest crude producer in the world. It’s the most populous black nation with a vibrant youth population of over 120million. Besides oil, it has some of the continent’s largest mineral deposits and vast arable lands. It also has one of the world’s highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4%.
However, after decades of poor governance, more than a third of its population lives in
abject poverty. Early this year, Nigeria overtook India for the title of the world’s extreme
poverty capital.
Nigeria is also divided along many lines – ethnic, religious, economic and political – and
these tensions often boil over into violence, fuelling rising insecurity experienced today in
parts of the country. The divides have even escalated to some regions and groups calling
for a cessation.
In this Roots TV Exclusive, we speak on these issues with international award-winning
author Jude Idada who recently won the Nigeria LNG prize for literature. He talks on the pros and cons of Nigeria staying as a nation.
