One of the first countries I want to discuss is Nigeria! In this post, I plan to provide information about Nigeria's economy, history, and gaps in policy, specifically in healthcare and education.
Nigeria is located on the western coast of Africa, and it is primarily known for its abundance of natural resources and large deposits of petroleum and natural gas.
Nigeria is known to be hot and humid throughout the year, and there are certain areas in Nigeria that are more developed than the others. The Central region in Nigeria, the Middle Belt, was the least developed area and was sparsely populated: less than one-fifth of the total population lived there. However, this area has progressed and gained more attention from the population due to the fertile lands it possesses and the significant economic activity in tin mining. It is commonly referred to as the "food basket of the nation" because of its abundance in agriculture.
Although the Middle Belt has improved economically, there are still several developmental challenges and environmental issues: limited access to education and healthcare, poor roads, and poverty. Additionally, there is tension with the farmers in this area, resulting in high crime rates. "the International Crisis Group estimates that there was an average of over 2000 deaths per year in the period between 2011 and 2016" (the owl.org).
The southern region of Nigeria is the most developed area in Nigeria due to its forest resources, tree crops, and major oil fields in this area. This area in Nigeria has a diverse job market: industry, services, commerce, and agriculture. The southern region in Nigeria is split into three different regions: southwest, southeast, and south-south. Southwest is known to be one of the busiest ports on the continent. However, although this is rapidly developing, causing overpopulation and increasing the poverty rate in this region, even though there is a diverse job market. Southeast is known for its trade, commerce, and agriculture. It is not overpopulated but manufacturing makes up the majority of the economy. However, it has poor infrastructure. Finally, South-South is where Nigeria gets most of its supply of oil and gasoline.
While the Government is still looking for ways to help develop this area, it faces pollution, poverty, and crime. Although the Nigerian Government has taken multiple steps to help build and control the economic issues, there are still many gaps that need to be addressed(I will be discussing these policy issues in the next blog).
The northern part of Nigeria is the largest and most diverse region in Nigeria. Northern Nigeria covers around 2/3rds of Nigeria, and the two common religions are Islam and Christianity. Like the other regions in Nigeria, northern Nigeria is heavily an agriculture and livestock-based economy. They are also rich in materials like tin, gold, and zinc, which makes mining extremely important in this region as well.
While this area may be the largest and most diverse area, it is the poorest region in Nigeria and exhibits a higher poverty rate than the south. This is because they have limited access to healthcare supplies and education. The crime rate also happens to be extremely high due to the religious tensions they face.
Overall, Nigeria has made tremendous strides to help improve their nation economically. However, there are a lot of marginalized groups that suffer discrimination and are not provided with the proper resources to have a healthy and safe life.
sources: https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria/Nigeria-as-a-colony. https://www.cbn.gov.ng/, https://theowp.org/shedding-light-on-nigerias-middle-belt/, https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria/Finance, https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nigeria/overview
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