Roots of War
Nigeria in 2015 was a country divided by many pluralities that stem from its colonial period. The British unified an area that was ethnically, religiously and culturally diverse, and after their exit, the region suffered high inner tensions. The Civil War, which took place from 1967 to 1970, originated from one of its groups - the Igbo - claiming recession from Nigeria to form their own Republic, named Biafra, on the southeast portion of the country. This region by the Niger River Delta is also home of the country’s largest oil reserves. The Igbo were ultimately defeated, but the separatist movement remained.
Another topic of division within the country is in the northern region, which is majority Muslim. Parts of this region are currently under the force of terrorist group Boko Haram, which enforces Sharia Law, which is considered extremist and cruel according to western standards. The north also has a desert climate, while the south is, for the most part, tropical.
The tensions rising before the Civil War were not solved by it, but rather worsened by the introduction of new actors to its dynamic; including Boko Haram and a water shortage. It is thus that a new war emerged following the crash of 2019. As Nigerian politicians discussed which asset to use following the global currency crash, Boko Haram took advantage of this chaotic moment to invade the south and dominate more water rich areas.
This was the inception of the War, which resulted in some successful conflicts for Boko Haram, but were in the end they were pushed back to their original territories.
After this war, Nigeria received a great deal of global attention and investment, becoming a cultural epicenter and trend hub.
