Nigeria

Background

Nigeria is located in West Africa and it is the most populated country in Africa. The country\'s name was chosen by the wife of Lord Lugard, who was appointed as governor of the country during colonial times. The name comes from a combination of the words \"Niger,\" the country\'s longest river, and \"area.\" Some of its major cities are Abuja, its capital, Lagos, its former capital, Ibadan, Osogbo, Port Harcourt, and Enugu.

Nigeria has a long and varied history. The earliest known civilization of Nigeria is that of the Nok, an iron age people that inhabited the Jos plateau in north-eastern Nigeria from 500 B.C. to 200 B.C. After the Nok, the Kanem-Bornu Empire facilitated trade between north and south Nigeria until the Ife, Oyo, and Benin kingdoms developed elaborate political systems in the south from the 15th to 17th century. The North was governed loosley by Usman dan Fodio of the Islamic empire. Coastal ports were developed from the 17th to 19th centuries as the slave trade took root. After the slave trade ended, Britain colonized both north and south Nigeria in 1914. World War II inspired enough nationalism in Nigeria to convince Britain to give the country some independence. However it was not until 1960, 25 years later, that Nigeria recieved full sovereignty.

It is at this point in time that begins Nigeria\'s history of a self-governing struggle that involves a series of military coups, broken promises, and never-ending oppression and denial of human rights. Before their independence was recieved, elections were held in 1959. The three parties to choose from were National Council of Nigerian and the Cameroons (NCNC) of eastern Nigeria,   the Northern People\'s Congress (NPC) of the north, and the Action Group (AG) of the west. After the elctions failed and no one was elected, the NCNC and the NPC joined and began Nigeria\'s first government.

Controversy within the government began as early as 1962 when the AG...