May 26, 2015
Nigeria
Nigeria is considered a key country in Africa because of its
Figure 1. Nigeria Facts
size and political and economic role in the region. The U.S.
government considers its relationship with the country to be
among the most important on the continent. Nigeria is
Africa’s largest economy, largest oil producer, and most
populous country, with almost 180 million people, roughly
divided between Muslims and Christians. Its Muslim
population is among the largest in the world, and has likely
overtaken Egypt’s as the largest on the continent. Lagos,
Nigeria’s commercial center, is among the world’s largest
cities. The country, which currently holds a non-permanent
seat on the U.N. Security Council, also ranks as a top troop
contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Despite significant promise, Nigeria faces serious social,
economic, and security challenges. Nigerian politics have

been scarred by ethnic, geographic, and religious conflict,
and corruption and misrule have undermined the state’s
Goodluck Jonathan, losing power to a new opposition
authority and legitimacy. Years of social unrest, criminality,
coalition, led by former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
and corruption in the oil-rich Niger Delta have hindered oil
Jonathan is the first incumbent Nigerian president to lose an
production, delayed the southern region’s economic
election. The polls had been controversially delayed by six
development, and contributed to piracy in the Gulf of
weeks at the behest of security officials, from February to
Guinea. Perceived neglect and economic marginalization
March 28 and April 11, which had heightened concerns
also fuel resentment in the predominately Muslim north.
about tensions around the polls and raised questions about
alleged political interference in the electoral process.
The Nigerian government has struggled to respond to the
growing threat posed by Boko Haram, a violent Islamist
Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) capitalized on
extremist group based in the northeast. U.S. officials have
popular frustration with the Jonathan government’s
expressed concern about Boko Haram’s impact in Nigeria
response to rising insecurity and allegations of large-scale
and neighboring countries; and its ties with other extremist
state corruption, among other concerns, winning a majority
groups, notably the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Syria
in the legislature and a majority of the state elections. The
and Iraq, to which Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance.
PDP had suffered internal divisions and defections to the
The recruitment of Nigerians by other transnational terrorist
APC since late 2013, and President Jonathan had come
groups has also been a concern. The State Department
under increasing criticism from some prominent leaders in
designated Boko Haram and a splinter faction, Ansaru, as
the party. Decreased support and turnout for the PDP in the
Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in November 2013.
elections appears to be linked, in part, to public views of the
government’s response to the Boko Haram threat, in
Political Context
particular to the April 2014 kidnapping of more than 270
schoolgirls from the northeast town of Chibok and the
Nigeria is a federal republic with a political structure
group’s subsequent territorial advance.
similar to that of the United States. The country was ruled
Security Concerns
by the military for much of the four decades after
independence before transitioning to civilian rule in 1999.
Boko Haram has grown increasingly deadly in its attacks
Elections held in the subsequent decade were widely
against state and civilian targets in Nigeria since 2010,
viewed as flawed, with each poll progressively worse than
drawing in part on a narrative of vengeance for state abuses
the last. Elections in 2011 were seen as more credible,
to elicit recruits and sympathizers. More than 11,000 people
although they were followed by violent protests in parts of
are estimated to have been killed in Boko Haram violence,
the north that left more than 800 people dead and illustrated
and some 1.5 million have been displaced. Boko Haram has
northern mistrust and dissatisfaction with the government.
called for an uprising against secular authority and a war
against Christianity. Its attacks have not primarily targeted
Nigeria’s 2015 elections were its most competitive contest
Christians, who are a minority in the north, where the group
to date, and were viewed as a critical test for its political
has been most active, but periodic attacks on Christian
leaders, its security forces, and its people. They have been
communities nevertheless fuel existing religious tensions in
widely hailed as a historic event, with the ruling People’s
the country. Boko Haram commenced a territorial offensive
Democratic Party (PDP) and its incumbent president,
in mid-2014 that Nigerian forces struggled to reverse until
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Nigeria
early 2015, when regional military forces, primarily from
services systems and stymied industrial growth. Corruption
neighboring Chad, launched an offensive against the group.
is “massive, widespread, and pervasive,” according to the
Private mercenaries have also been used in the campaign.
State Department’s annual human rights reports.
Multiple factors have undermined the Nigerian response to
Divisions among ethnic groups, between regions, and
Boko Haram, notably security sector corruption and
between Christians and Muslims often stem from issues
mismanagement. By many accounts, Nigerian troops are
relating to access to land, socioeconomic development, and
not adequately resourced or equipped to counter the
jobs, and are sometimes fueled by politicians. An estimated
insurgency. Abuses by Nigerian forces have taken a toll on
16,000 Nigerians have died in local clashes in the last
civilians and complicated U.S. efforts to pursue greater
decade, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
counterterrorism cooperation, despite shared concerns about
Boko Haram. Coordination has also been hampered at times
U.S.-Nigeria Relations and U.S.
by a lack of cooperation from Nigerian officials.
Assistance
Boko Haram currently appears to pose a threat primarily to
The Obama Administration considers its relationship with
stability in northern Nigeria and surrounding areas in
Nigeria to be among the most important on the continent.
neighboring countries. The group also poses a threat to
Diplomatic engagement has been tempered, however, by
international targets, including Western citizens, in the
Nigerian perceptions of U.S. intrusion in domestic and
region. Boko Haram’s leader has issued direct threats
regional affairs, and by U.S. concern with human rights,
against the United States, but to date no U.S. citizens are
governance, and corruption issues. In 2010, the Obama and
known to have been kidnapped or killed by the group. Boko
Jonathan Administrations established the U.S.-Nigeria
Haram’s March 2015 pledge of allegiance to the self-
Binational Commission, a strategic dialogue to address
described Islamic State has raised its profile and may
issues of mutual concern. The State Department maintains a
provide recruitment and fundraising opportunities. The
travel warning for U.S. citizens regarding travel to Nigeria,
extent to which affiliation might facilitate operational ties
noting the risks of armed attacks in the northeast and the
between the groups remains unclear.
threat of kidnapping throughout the country, including in
the Niger Delta, and currently restricts U.S. officials from
In the southern Niger Delta region, local grievances related
all but essential travel to all northern states.
to oil production have fueled conflict and criminality for
over a decade. Government negotiations with local militants
Total U.S.-Nigeria trade was valued at over $18 billion in
and an amnesty program have quieted the area, but the
2013, and the United States is the largest source of FDI in
peace is fragile. Some militants remain involved in various
Nigeria. Nigeria routinely ranked among the United States’
local and transnational criminal activities, including piracy
largest sources of imported oil, with U.S. imports
and drug and arms trafficking networks. These networks
comprising over 40% of Nigeria’s total crude oil exports
overlap with oil theft networks and contribute to the rising
until 2011. U.S. purchases of Nigerian oil have since
trend of piracy off the Nigerian coast and in the wider Gulf
plummeted as domestic U.S. crude supply has increased.
of Guinea, one of the world’s most dangerous bodies of
water. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime suggests that
Congress oversees some $700 million per year in U.S.
most piracy in the region can be traced back to the Niger
foreign aid programs in Nigeria—one of the largest U.S.
Delta. Involvement in the theft and illegal trade of crude oil
bilateral aid packages in Africa. The Administration’s
is not limited to Delta militants—politicians, security
FY2016 aid request includes more than $607 million for
officers, and oil industry personnel are widely rumored to
Nigeria, much of it focused on health programs. Nigeria is a
be implicated. Efforts to cut oil theft are also hampered by a
focus country under the President’s health initiatives, Feed
lack of transparency in the oil industry.
the Future (FTF), Power Africa, and the new Security
Governance Initiative (SGI). U.S. security assistance to
Development Prospects and Challenges
Nigeria has totaled more than $15 million annually in
recent years, much of it focused on enhancing law
Nigeria’s economy is now internationally recognized as the
enforcement, counternarcotics, peacekeeping capacity.
largest in Africa and the 26th largest globally. Based on
Counterterrorism assistance to Nigeria has been constrained
adjusted metrics, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
by various factors. Nigeria is expected to benefit from a
is now almost double what it was previously thought to
new 3-year, $40 million regional program to counter Boko
have been and substantially larger than South Africa’s
Haram, and may receive additional support if the new
economy. It is also less reliant on oil than expected,
government is seen to be more responsive to U.S. concerns
although the sector continues to account for the majority of
about Nigeria’s counterterrorism approach.
government revenues and export earnings. Nigeria lags far
behind South Africa on the U.N. Human Development
See CRS Report R43881, Nigeria’s 2015 Elections and the
Index, though. There is massive income inequality, and a
Boko Haram Crisis, CRS Report RL33964, Nigeria:
majority of the population faces extreme poverty.
Current Issues and U.S. Policy, and CRS In Focus IF10173,
Boko Haram.
Some economists view Nigeria’s long-term growth as
threatened by chronic underperformance, notably due to
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, lploch@crs.loc.gov, 7-7640
poor infrastructure and electricity shortages. Decades of

economic mismanagement, instability, and corruption have
hindered investment in the country’s education and social
IF10174
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