Nigeria 2013-2017

[KingJaja]

Hi,

It's been a long time.

Boko Haram has come to stay, so the Nigerian State have to find a way to adjust to that reality.

The Nigerian State with an incompetent police, no biometric ID system, 10 million out of school kids and porous borders cannot solve this problem without fundamental changes & these changes will be very risky politically.

In addition to Boko Haram, there's a silent crisis in the Middle Belt (farmers vs herdsmen), separatist rumblings in the South East & of course, the Niger Delta.

Oil prices have dropped - & Iran looms over the horizon.

There is consumer inflation, purchasing power is steadily dropping. No economic policy direction.

There will be very difficult years ahead - and let nobody make you believe Boko Haram will be the only challenge or even the major challenge.

[davidbfpo]

Hi,

It's been a long time.

Kingjaja,

Indeed welcome back, it is good to have a local posting, truly "on the ground".

[davidbfpo]

A special article in the FT on Nigeria, which for once makes little mention of Boko Haram and has some intriguing passages. For once a bit of optimism:http://app.ft.com/cms/57d0408c-30b2-...3-775ba7c2ea3d

Stuck for time read the last two paragraphs.

[davidbfpo]

A BBC report on Xmas Eve:

Nigeria has "technically won the war" against Islamist Boko Haram militants, President Muhammadu Buhari says.
He told the BBC that the militant group could no longer mount "conventional attacks" against security forces or population centres. It had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices (IED) and remained a force only in its heartland of Borno state, he said.

Link:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35173618

There's nothing like being an optimist.