Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and one of the world’s most important oil producers, where 50 percent of the population lives in poverty. In the north, where the situation is particularly dire, more than 70 percent of the population is in poverty. The country is evenly split between a primarily Muslim north and a Christian south. Though most people live in harmony, in 2009 a murky Islamic insurgent group, Boko Haram—which translates as “Western Religion is Sacrilegiousâ€â€”has become increasingly radical and violent, targeting Nigerian security forces and churches. Religious strife, economic disparity, ethnic tensions, and a fight for resources are converging into a growing crisis. As tensions flair, a looming potential for civil war threatens to engulf the country and tear Nigeria apart—which would create a disastrous outcome for all of Africa.
