What is really happening in Nigeria?

Persecution, violence, terror, and the total passivity of the Western world. This is how the situation in Nigeria could be described in brief. It is not easy to understand this country’s biggest problems. But explaining them is even harder.

I will try to describe some issues that may help shed light on what is currently happening there. Nigeria is a country with great potential but very modest means to utilize it. This most populous country in Africa closes the list of the world’s top ten countries with the largest oil reserves. It also holds large reserves of natural gas and zinc. Over 70% of Nigeria’s exports consist of unrefined oil, yet the top imported commodity is… refined oil. This clearly shows that something is not right. Adding to this, Nigeria ranks high on the list of the most corrupt countries (145th out of 180) and holds the eighth place on the Global Terrorism Index. This makes the picture even clearer.

Not enough? According to official statistics, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is around 5%, while it is 8.6% for those in the 18-24 age group. I was a little skeptical of these figures, so I decided to dig deeper. It turns out that in Nigeria, an “employed” person is defined as anyone who has worked at least one hour in the past seven days and received payment for it. This criterion was adopted to meet International Labour Organization standards. According to the previous definition, which did not include this criterion, the unemployment rate was around 33%. Furthermore, people working on their own farms – including, for example, single mothers – are not counted as professionally active, meaning they are not included in the unemployment statistics.

As you can see, any social issue can be approached very creatively.

Another important issue to address in the introduction is wages. Nigeria’s minimum wage was raised several months ago to 70,000 naira. It was the first adjustment in eighteen years. Before that, the minimum salary was half that amount, equating to roughly 42 dollars today. With this sum, one can buy, for example, 11 kg of apples, 20 kg of potatoes, or 15 liters of milk. If you come across a good deal, you might be lucky enough to buy a pair of branded shoes. To afford a new Volkswagen Golf, however, one would need to save for 32 years, assuming there were no other expenses and the price remained the same. Have I mentioned inflation? Over the last three years, the value of the Nigerian currency has steadily decreased, and the inflation rate has already exceeded 30%. At the same time, Nigeria is a country where digital currency is an official means of payment alongside physical money. This might not be surprising in a place where even bread is purchased with four-digit denomination banknotes, and where, in many areas, it is safer not to carry cash at all.

Islamic fundamentalism is rapidly growing

I hope you managed to get through this somewhat clumsily written introduction to Nigeria’s economy. I will now move on to internal affairs and the problems that have burdened this country for decades. Allow me to skip over politics. I will only say that the state of Nigeria’s political elites is difficult to compare to anything I am familiar with. I will therefore focus on terrorism-related threats, as this will help explain how we have found ourselves in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s main problem is the rapidly spreading Islamic fundamentalism. Many years ago, the northern states of Nigeria (the country is divided into 36 states and one capital territory) introduced Sharia law, based on the principles of the Quran. This created a breeding ground for extremism, leading to the emergence of radical Islamic movements, with Boko Haram becoming the most prominent among them. This international group was formed over twenty years ago. Boko Haram’s militias include members from various nations, primarily other African countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. They receive support from advisors and instructors from countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, and Iraq. Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to ISIS, showing the close relationship between these groups. Nigerian authorities are attempting to combat Islamist terrorists, but without external assistance, this remains a significant challenge.

For the last 15 years, Boko Haram has continuously carried out brutal attacks on police stations, schools, government buildings, churches, and Christian towns and villages. As a result, a growing number of people are choosing to migrate south. Data published by Portes Ouvertes, the French branch of the Open Doors Foundation, which monitors acts of violence and persecution against Christians, is alarming. In 2023, 4,118 people were killed in Nigeria, representing 82% of all Christians murdered for their faith worldwide. Additionally, there were 3,300 kidnappings – 84% of all abductions in 2023 – as well as widespread sexual violence and destruction of property.

Boko Haram is not the only threat

One could say that Nigeria is split in half. The north is dominated by Islamic radicalism, while the south is under the control of a majority-Christian central government. However, this does not mean it is safe. In central Nigeria, particularly in Plateau State, Christians are threatened by Muslim militants from the Fulani tribe.

The Fulani are a nomadic people primarily engaged in cattle herding. Unlike Boko Haram, they are not an organized group but one of the tribes living in Nigeria (and in several other West African countries). Their population is estimated to be around 20 million, making them a large social group, with members serving in the police and the army. They are also present in local and central government, which is why crimes committed by their armed militias often go unreported. The Fulani attack Christians, who are primarily farmers, burning their houses, destroying crops, committing rapes, assaults, murders, and even massacres of entire villages. In a coordinated attack on Christmas Eve in 2023, they attacked over 160 villages across Nigeria and murdered 335 people. Such atrocities and open persecution are common in this region. Every week, we receive reports of another attack, along with pictures of burned villages and murdered women and children. Of course, we do not publish them, as they are often extremely graphic.

One might think that such a dramatic situation could not escape the world’s attention, prompting the international community to take action. But this is not the case. The problem seems nonexistent in the public sphere, especially in countries with vested interests in this part of Africa. One may wonder why, but the answer is rather simple: it is easier to exert influence over a destabilized, chaotic country than over a strong, well-functioning one. As usual, profit, business, and power are prioritized over people’s lives.

I usually try to end difficult topics on a positive note, but in this case, it is hard to find one. I could say there is a chance that the lives of people suffering in Nigeria will improve, but that would be naïve. This does not mean I want this article to be treated merely as a curiosity. Anyone familiar with our work knows that our goal is to help the victims of terrorism. Of course, this would not be possible without your support, for which I am very grateful.

Here, I’ll include a graphic I found online.

Author: Dawid Czyż