Updated December 3, 2018
Nigeria
Successive Administrations have viewed the U.S.-Nigeria
Figure 1. Nigeria at a Glance
relationship as one of the most important in Africa, given
Nigeria’s size and political and economic role in the region.
It is Africa’s largest economy and most populous country,
with more than 200 million people, divided roughly evenly
between Muslims and Christians. Its Muslim population is
among the largest in the world. Lagos, Nigeria’s
commercial center, is one of the world’s largest cities.
Despite significant promise, Nigeria faces serious social,
economic, and security challenges. Nigerian politics have
been scarred by ethnic, geographic, and religious conflict.
Corruption and misrule have undermined the state’s

Source: CRS. Map data from Department of State and Esri, Figures
authority and legitimacy. Years of social unrest, criminality,
are 2017 estimates from CIA World Factbook and IMF.
and corruption in the oil-rich Niger Delta have hindered oil
production, delayed the southern region’s development, and

contributed to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Perceived
With elections slated for February 2019, prospects for a
neglect and economic marginalization also have fueled
second term for Buhari are uncertain. Critics of his first
resentment in the predominately Muslim north. Communal
term doubt his ability to foster effective change. His health
grievances drive conflict in the country’s Middle Belt.
is a concern: Buhari, 75, spent significant time in London
for treatment of an undisclosed condition in 2017. His
With its neighbors, Nigeria has waged a military offensive
primary challenger is Atiku Abubakar, a former vice
against Boko Haram, a violent Islamist extremist group that
president who quit the APC in late 2017 and rejoined PDP.
pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015 and
Both men hail from the North and are Muslim. The APC
subsequently split into two factions. Nigeria’s
has suffered high-profile defections in the legislature as
counterinsurgency efforts have been hamstrung by
politicians position for the 2019 polls.
corruption and mismanagement. Amid the insecurity, a
severe humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast continues.
Security Concerns
Over 2.5 million people are critically food insecure, and
Boko Haram has grown increasingly deadly in its attacks
isolated areas remain at risk of famine if aid is cut off.
against state and civilian targets in Nigeria since 2010,
Political Context
drawing in part on a narrative of vengeance for state abuses
to elicit recruits and sympathizers. Some 16,000 people are
Nigeria is a federal republic with a political structure
estimated to have been killed in Boko Haram violence, and
similar to that of the United States. The country was ruled
two million Nigerians are internally displaced. Boko Haram
by the military for much of the four decades after
has called for an uprising against secular authority and a
independence before transitioning to civilian rule in 1999.
war against Christianity. Its attacks have not primarily
Subsequent elections were widely viewed as flawed.
targeted Christians, a minority in the north where the group
Observers viewed elections in 2011 as more credible,
has been most active, but periodic attacks on Christian
although they were followed by violent protests in parts of
communities fuel existing religious tensions in the country.
the north that left more than 800 people dead and illustrated
northern mistrust and dissatisfaction with the government.
Boko Haram launched an offensive in mid-2014 that
Nigerian forces struggled to reverse until early 2015, when
Nigeria’s 2015 elections were its most competitive contest
regional forces, primarily from Chad, launched operations
to date and were viewed as a critical test for its leaders, its
against the group. The Nigerian army has since reclaimed
security forces, and its people. In what observers widely
most of the territory, although many areas remain insecure.
hailed as a historic transition, the ruling People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) and its president, Goodluck
Boko Haram’s kidnapping of more than 270 schoolgirls
Jonathan, lost power to Muhammadu Buhari and his All
from the town of Chibok in 2014 raised its international
Progressives Congress (APC). In addition to the presidency,
profile, as did its 2015 pledge of allegiance to the Islamic
the APC won a majority in the legislature. Buhari, a former
State. The Islamic State subsequently replaced Boko Haram
military junta leader, and the opposition coalition
leader Abubakar Shekau in 2016 with Abu Musab al-
capitalized on popular frustration with the Jonathan
Barnawi, reportedly the son of the group’s founder, as head
government’s response to rising insecurity, mounting
of the Islamic State-West Africa (ISIS-WA). Shekau
economic pressures, and allegations of large-scale state
rejected his ouster and continues to lead a faction that
corruption, among other issues. Jonathan was Nigeria’s first
remains widely referred to as Boko Haram. The relationship
incumbent president to lose an election.
between the two factions is unclear and subject to debate.
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Nigeria
Boko Haram and ISIS-WA currently appear to pose a threat
poor infrastructure and electricity shortages. Decades of
primarily to northern Nigeria and surrounding areas in the
mismanagement, instability, and corruption have hindered
Lake Chad Basin. They also pose a threat to international
investment in education and social services and stymied
targets in the region. Boko Haram’s leadership has issued
industrial growth. The State Department has described
threats against the United States, but no U.S. citizens are
corruption as “massive, widespread, and pervasive.”
known to have been kidnapped or killed by the group.
Nigeria ranks poorly on the U.N. Human Development
In the southern Niger Delta region, local grievances related
Index. There is massive income inequality, and a majority
to oil production have fueled conflict and criminality for
of the population faces extreme poverty. The situation is
over a decade. Government negotiations with local militants
most acute in the northeast, where Boko Haram violence
and an amnesty program quieted the area, but attacks on oil
has devastated economic activity and hindered access to
installations resumed in 2016, dramatically curtailing
aid. By many accounts, Nigeria’s response to the crisis in
production. Some Delta militants remain involved in
the northeast was delayed and has been marked by systemic
various criminal activities, including piracy and drug and
corruption, mismanagement, and abuses, including sexual
arms trafficking networks. These networks overlap with oil
violence, against internally displaced persons. The U.N.
theft networks and contribute to piracy off the Nigerian
estimates that 7.7 million people in the northeast need aid;
coast and in the wider Gulf of Guinea. The U.N. suggests
more than 50% are children.
that most piracy in the region can be traced back to the
Niger Delta. Involvement in the theft and illegal trade of
U.S. Relations and Assistance
crude oil is not limited to Delta militants—politicians,
U.S. relations with Nigeria appear generally consistent
security officers, and oil industry personnel are widely
under the Trump Administration with U.S. policy under the
rumored to be involved.
Obama Administration. The Obama Administration treated
In the Middle Belt region, violent competition for resources
the Nigeria relationship as a top priority on the continent.
has increased between nomadic herdsmen, many belonging
President Trump’s call to Buhari in early 2017 was the first
to the largely Muslim Fulani ethnic group, and settled
to any Sub-Saharan African leader, and then-Secretary of
farming communities, many of them Christian. Factors
State Rex Tillerson visited Nigeria during his trip to Africa
underlying the deadly conflict are complex but include
in March 2018. Buhari was the first African leader to visit
ethno-religious tensions, availability of sophisticated
the Trump White House, in April 2018. Diplomatic
weapons, and desertification. Farmer-herder conflicts occur
engagement has been tempered at times by Nigerian
against a backdrop of deadly, cyclical violence along
perceptions of U.S. intrusion in domestic and regional
ethnic, regional, and religious lines that has claimed an
affairs, and by U.S. concern with human rights, governance,
estimated 20,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands
and corruption issues. The U.S.-Nigeria Binational
over the past two decades. Inter-communal conflict often
Commission, a strategic dialogue to address issues of
stems from issues relating to socioeconomic opportunities
mutual concern, was established in 2010.
and land access, and is sometimes fueled by elites.
The United States is the largest source of Foreign Direct
Multiple factors have undermined Nigeria’s response to
Investment in Nigeria. Nigeria routinely ranked among the
these security challenges. Corruption is systemic and drains
largest U.S. sources of imported oil, with U.S. imports
resources at all levels of the security apparatus. By many
comprising over 40% of Nigeria’s total crude oil exports
accounts, Nigerian troops are inadequately resourced and
until 2011. U.S. purchases of Nigerian oil have since
equipped. Abuses by Nigerian forces in the context of
plummeted as domestic U.S. crude supply has increased.
counterterrorism operations have taken a toll on civilians
Congress oversees more than $600 million per year on
and reportedly fueled extremist recruitment in some areas,
average in U.S. foreign aid to Nigeria—one of the largest
complicating U.S. efforts to pursue greater counterterrorism
U.S. bilateral aid packages in Africa. U.S. humanitarian aid
cooperation. A lack of cooperation from Nigerian officials
in response to the emergency in the Lake Chad Basin has
also has hampered coordination at times. U.S. officials have
totaled $435 million in FY2018, including $333 million for
praised Buhari for his anti-corruption efforts, which have
Nigeria alone. The FY2019 aid request includes almost
included the pursuit of corruption charges against several
$352 million for Nigeria (not including anticipated food
high-level former security officials.
aid), largely focused on health programs. This would
Development Prospects and Challenges
represent a decline from FY2017, when Nigeria received
over $560 million in non-humanitarian aid.
Nigeria’s economy is the largest in Africa. The petroleum
sector accounts for the majority of government revenues
U.S. security assistance to Nigeria has focused primarily on
and export earnings. Consequently, the resurgence of Niger
enhancing counternarcotics, maritime security, and
Delta militancy and accompanying decline in oil production
peacekeeping capacities. Counterterrorism support has been
has sharply constrained Nigeria’s economic performance
constrained by various factors, although Nigeria has
and outlook. Along with low oil prices, the fall in oil output
received infantry training for some troops deployed in the
caused Nigeria to slide into recession in 2016. Its economic
northeast, among other initiatives.
recovery has been relatively slow, with growth estimated at
1.9% in 2108. Despite Buhari’s stated commitment to
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs
liberalization, analysts question whether his administration
has reassured investors. Some view long-term growth as
IF10174
threatened by chronic underperformance, largely due to

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Nigeria



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