Vol 54 No 19 | NIGERIA Punching out the PDP 20th September 2013 The President’s failure to bring together the rival factions in his party has chronically weakened his government’s standing, nationally and regionally The open brawl between rival factions of the governing People’s Democratic Party in the National Assembly on 18 September pointed dramatically to the failure of party leaders...
Vol 54 No 19 | NIGERIA Reshuffle may not help Jonathan's chances 20th September 2013 The President sacked nine ministers on 11 September, many of whom are linked to his opponents The first major reshuffle of Goodluck Jonathan's presidency on 11 September looked more like a panic reaction to political revolt inside his party rather than a strategic move to s...
Vol 54 No 18 | NIGERIA Cracks widen in the PDP 6th September 2013 Seven state governors have walked out of the governing party, dealing a critical blow to its election strategy As he started a three-day state visit to Kenya on 5 September, President Goodluck Jonathan might try to put his own government’s political disarray into perspective. His host...
Vol 54 No 16 | NIGERIA Amaechi takes on Jonathan 1st August 2013 The battle for control of wealthy Rivers State is a personal struggle for power in the Niger Delta but has the makings of a national crisis For many of those listening to Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s address to the Chatham House think-tank in London on 24 July, the speaker may have appeared just another ambitious an...
Vol 54 No 15 | NIGERIA The Delta catches fire again 11th July 2013 Rampant oil theft, spills and a pipeline shutdown focus attention on Shell’s operations as a political crisis looms The Niger Delta faces a new round of turmoil as politicians and their business allies jostle for power at the centre of the country's oil industry. On 10 July, police and soldiers ...
Vol 54 No 15 | NIGERIA The Bodo spill hits companies and politicians 11th July 2013 The aftermath of the fire could result in costly litigation for Shell and further erode President Goodluck Jonathan's presidency The latest fire and pollution incident at Bodo may leave Royal Dutch Shell open to hugely costly damages. A landmark United Nations Environment Programme report in 2011 estimated a...
Vol 54 No 14 | NIGERIA Inside the presidential fight 5th July 2013 Opponents – within and outside the ruling party – are undercutting President Jonathan’s authority as he prepares for the 2015 elections Two factors – rampant factionalism in the governing People’s Democratic Party and a coherent opposition alliance are changing the calculus in Nigerian politics. For the... READ FOR FREE
Vol 54 No 14 | NIGERIA The governors and the insurgency 5th July 2013 Quieter streets along with fewer attacks and bombings suggest the declaration of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states is holding back, for now, the momentum of the Boko...
Vol 54 No 11 | NIGERIA Blocking the great reform bill 24th May 2013 Partisan wrangling and commercial manoeuvring have derailed plans to make the oil and gas industry more efficient and accountable Efforts towards comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry are in tatters some five years after the first version of the Petroleum Industry Bill was presented to Parlia...
Vol 54 No 11 | NIGERIA An insurgency without the oil 24th May 2013 With Map: Recent Boko Haram activity: bombings, shootings, kidnappings, jailbreaks At face value, the declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, dominated by appointees from the oil-rich Niger Delta, of a state of emergency in north-east Nigeria and...