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Nigeria has had a unique history. More than 2,000 years ago, the Nok people were producing sculptures. In Kano and Katsina, recorded history dates back to around 1000. Hausa kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa. The Yoruba kingdoms of Ifẹ and Ọyọ were founded about 700-900 and 1400 respectively. The Ifẹ produced the terra cotta and bronze heads, the Ọyọ extended as far as modern Togo. The Kingdom of Benin developed an efficient and renowned army. The Benin (Edos)are related to the Yoruba by history. The southeast produced the Onitsha, Nri, and Arochukwu kingdoms. The Nri kingdom reigned before slavery with Divine priests and powerful Ezenri. There was also the great Ogbunka kingdom which was noted for his ability to repulse every form of aggression. A prominent town they controlled was Igbo Ukwu which was home to Bronze figures and was a burial site for Kings. Other kingdoms also flourished, like the Calabar, Opobo, Bonny, Brass, Elem kalabari and others which were controlled by the Ijaw, Efik, Igbo, and Ibibio. Beginning in the 17th century Europeans established ports for slave trafficking. In the early 19th century the Fulani leader Usman dan Fodio united most areas in the north under the control of an Islamic Fulani Empire centered in Sokoto. The 17th century brought Portuguese traders to what is now the Lagos area. In fact, the name Lagos came from the Portuguese word for lagoon, resulting in the name of the area. However, it was the British in the 19th century that established permanent settlement and control over the region. In 1901, Nigeria was made a British protectorate and remained under the control of Britain until its independence in 1960. Nnamdi Azikiwe held the office of Governor-General in 1960, and with the independence of the republic in 1963, he became the first President of Nigeria. Ethnic and religious tensions following independence led to the Nigerian Civil War and the start of intermittent democratic and military rule that did not end until 1999, when the democratic republic was permanently re-established with the election of Olusegun Obasanjo as its current president. Recently, supporters of Obasanjo had tried and failed to extend term limits following rejection by the national assembly. New elections are set for 2007.With its economy and infrastructure devastated by years of military rule, corruption, and mismanagement, Nigeria is now reforming and rebuilding itself to be a modern, prosperous nation. It is taking advantage of its position as sub-Saharan Africa's most populous country to push for a more prominent role in African and international politics. Such examples are its chairmanship of ECOWAS and the deployment of peace keeping troops to Liberia and Sierra Leone, and the African Union with troop deployments to the Sudan. Nigeria is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Despite these positive developments, problems abound in Nigeria such as endemic corruption and crime such as the 419 scams; ethnic and religious strife, particularly between Christians and Muslims in the northern half of the country, and insurgents in the oil-rich Niger Delta. The Niger Delta conflict is hampering Nigeria's oil production capabilities and is even affecting international oil prices |
Nigeria Information: Inside
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