Nigeria. Presented by Guillaume Onyeaghala

Transcription

1 Nigeria Presented by Guillaume Onyeaghala

2 Location

3 Country Facts Historically, it was also known as the Benin empire, and believed the be the home of the bantu people, who migrated and populated most of east and central Africa throughout history Several Hundreds of languages spoken, by over 250 ethnic groups Main Languages are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Kanuri, Fulfulde and English (official language) The population of Nigeria is 124 millions Lagos is the largest city in the country, with a population of 9 millions Abuja is the administrative capital of the country Other large cities include Kano (3.6 millions) and Oyo (3.5 millions) Nigeria became independent from the united kingdom on October 1, 1963

4 Nigeria today The government is a presidential federal republic, led by Goodluck Jonathan as the president and Namadi Sambo as the prime minister. The Republic is composed of 36 states. Nigeria is one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world and the largest producer in Africa Most of the country s resources was focused on the oil industry to the neglect of agriculture and mining Unfortunately, economic competition over the country s large oil reserves has added to the already existing tensions in the country

5 Sources of Tension Religious and ethnic tensions in Nigeria: There are 300 distinct ethnic groups and various expressions of three dominant religions: Islam, Christianity, and traditional Animist religion. While ethnic and religious conflicts in Nigeria are two separate tensions, they are usually connected since specific ethnic groups tend to practice a certain religion. The majority of Nigerians belong to three major ethnic groups: the Hausa-Fulani in the North, the Igbo in the Southeast and the Yoruba in the Southwest. Each of these groups is unusually large, possesses unique and different cultures, and has a strong sense of tribal cohesion. These different groups have been characterized by suspicion and mistrust, especially during the colonial era. As a result, the Biafra war began after a political coup and counter coup in 1966 which resulted in the secession of the state of Biafra due to political grievances and the violence quickly took on both ethnic and religious undertones as a conflict between the Muslim North and the Christian Southeast. Clashes between Christian and Muslim communities with a history of peaceful cohabitation followed, in which thousands of people were killed, property destroyed, and hundreds of thousands displaced. The adoption of the Sharia criminal legal system by a slew of Northern Nigerian Muslim-majority states between 2000 and 2002 was the highpoint of this new politicization of religion. Once Sharia was introduced, it only added to the fear of Christians that they would be persecuted and their freedoms, guaranteed in the Nigerian constitution, curtailed. In recent years, the Boko Haram religious group in northern Nigeria has been in conflict with the government and is attempting to establish Sharia Law in northern parts of the country.

6 Public Health Challenges According to the CDC website, the top causes of death in Nigeria are Malaria 20% Lower Respiratory Infections 19% HIV 9% Diarrheal Diseases 5% Road Injuries 5% Protein-Energy Malnutrition 4% Cancer 3% Meningitis 3% Stroke 3% Tuberculosis 2% CDC is building Nigerian epidemiologic capacity through the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). Since its inception in 2008, N- FELTP has assisted in the detection, investigation and response to more than 70 disease outbreaks including lead poisoning in Zamfara State, multi-state outbreaks of Lassa fever and cholera, monitoring of malaria response and interventions, and supports polio eradication efforts.

7 Public Health Challenges Environmental pollution Due to the emphasis on the oil industry, then environment has suffered from the toxic waste generated Additionally, the Nigerian Government is infamous for its corruption allegations, and many believe that it turned a blind eye on the pollution problem There was a large lash back by the Nigerian population against the SHELL oil company, which was in charge of most of the drilling and extraction operations of oil in Nigeria The environmental problems are also created due to fires often caused by bandits who tap the pipelines in order to siphon oil or gas, often endangering the population living near these locations

8 Wildlife The main wildlife in Nigeria has over 200 mammal species, including lions, leopard, elephants, and many primates and rodents. Many of the primate and rodent species are often hunted in rural areas and known as bush meat. Handling of bush meat often causes concern for public health officials due to the risk of exposure to zoonotic diseases. The main bodies of water include the Osun Osogbo River (which has an important religious and mythological place in Nigerian folklore), the Niger river and the Benin River.

9 Vibrant Artistic Community Nigeria has a large movie business, and the Nigerian equivalent of Hollywood is Nollywood This movie business is not only extremely popular amongst Nigerian at home or abroad, but it also has gotten international recognition in recent years!

10 Literature Chinua Achebe winner 2007 Man Booker International Prize,and often cited as the "Father of Modern African Literature with his famous book Things fall apart. Wole Soyinka - poet, playwright and novelist; awarded 1986Nobel Prize in Literature

11 Music Left to right, top to bottom: Fela Kuti, a Nigerian Music legend P-square, a Nigerian pop duo of international fame (last played in Minneapolis in 2010) Chidinma, MTN Project Fame West Africa s first ever female winner and a rising star!

12 Nigerian Fashion Nigerian fashion has a strong emphasis on introducing traditional elements into modern couture

13 Sports Nigeria s sports teams are known for competing at an international level in a wide variety of disciplines!

14 The Wonders of Nigeria Each of Nigeria s ethnic groups have several festivals that are widely known in the country and in West Africa The New Yam festival for the Igbo The Durbar Festival for the Hausa

15 Tourism The mouth of the Niger river in Nigeria is one of the most popular regions to visit It is close to the Anambra region, which is also popular for its yearly yam festival Lagos is also a great place to visit, and as the commercial center of the country it features some of the best museums and cultural centers in the region. Kano City is also a great spot with a rich historical and cultural influence, and with monuments that are more than 1000 year old

16 Food Fufu and Stew Jollof Rice Akara Moi Moi Pepper Soup