Nigeria: Struggling to Improve in the 21st Century
 As Americans we tend to be a bit, well, geographically-impaired. Today I’ll talk a bit about Nigeria so you have a better idea of its complexity. Nigeria is a country of great beauty, yet it has struggled the last 50 years despite being a federal republic. Oil is the number one export, yet its profits have not trickled down to everyday people. Jonathan Goodluck (yes, his real name) was named president in 2010, and he has determined that his administration will focus on anti-corruption and electoral reform.
He’s proving already that he’s a progressive man of the 21st century. A bachelor’s and PhD holder in zoology, with a master’s degree in hydrobiology and fisheries biology, he may well be interested in our aquaponics program for Kisayip. Wouldn’t that be great if he popped in while we were there? He’s even in social media and does regular updates. According to Wikipedia, CNN reports that Goodluck has 490,000 friends, “more Facebook fans than the combined tally of British Prime Minister David Cameron, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and South African head of state Jacob Zuma.” Cool.
He has a lot on his plate, though. A nation of 154 million people, Nigeria is twice the size of California. Only 33 percent of its land is arable, and 70 percent of its people live below the poverty line.
Weather-wise, there are periodic droughts followed by flooding. It’s a land of temperature extremes. Forty percent of its population is under 14, and the average life span for a Nigerian is 47 years old. There are 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, with 50 percent of the population Muslim, and 40 percent Christian. Ten percent hold indigenous beliefs.
According to the World Factbook published by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Nigeria “continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy.”
But we have great hopes for Nigeria. That’s why we’re going. There is so much possibility in this country, so much energy, so much life. There is also great need, physical, emotional and spiritual. We want to be the shining light of hope for Kisayip and its people.
Be grateful for your blessings. We all have wants, but Nigeria has significant, genuine needs.
--Chuck Proudfit, March 18
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