NIGERIA BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Standard 18

Applying Geography to Interpret the Present

and Plan for the Future

"In a world where people are competing for territory, resources, markets, and economic positions, knowing too little about geography is a liability, which compromises the capacity of people to function successfully at home or abroad."

Introduction

Why should Americans care about what goes on in Africa? Equally, why should we care about what happens in Nigeria? After all, they have their lives and we have our lives, right? Hopefully, these essays and the lessons plans on Nigeria have emphasized that we should care about people and places that are seemingly remote from us. The geographically informed person should care about what goes on in a distant place like Nigeria. This is a point that has been emphasized throughout all of the standards. Places and regions of world are not isolated. People and processes interact across local, national, regional, and global scales, weaving complex cultural, political, and economic patterns. If we ignore these interactions in favor of an isolationist worldview, we are refusing to deal with the world as it really exists. This essay has two major goals. First, it seeks to address the broad question of why we should care about a region like Africa and a place like Nigeria in particular. Second, the essay sets forth some thoughts on the future of Nigeria, addressing a diverse set of issues. The focus in this second section will not be on closely forecasting the future. Rather, the focus will be on the process of geographically interpreting the present and evaluating prospects for the future.

How Far Should We Care?

We find ourselves in an era of increased globalization. We hear discussion about globalization everywhere. This is evident in the last decade’s most important communications innovation, the Internet. After all, another name for the Internet is the World Wide Web. In such a historical context, it seems more important than ever that we know about places both near and far. In this process of globalization, geographic interactions take place at wider and wider scales. Instead of economic activity being confined mainly to the "container" of the nation-state, goods and services are increasingly being bought, sold, and produced in multinational contexts. But, before we become overly wrapped up in this notion of globalization, it is important to ask a uniquely geographic question: Is global integration occurring at the same pace and in the same way all around the world? The answer is a resounding no. Some countries and regions are participating in globalization to a much greater extent. For the purposes of this study of Nigeria, it is vital to point out that Africa is one of the least connected regions of the world in many different respects (see standard 11 for more information). International trade between Africa and other parts of the world is extremely low relative to that of other world regions. Transportation and communication links within and to Africa are extremely poor. Partly because of these reasons and because of the end of the Cold War, Africa is a region of low concern for the major world powers. But, even if Africa finds itself in a marginal position at the present, this does not mean that it should be in this position, or that it will always be in this position. One theme that has been emphasized repeatedly in this study is that local, regional, and world geography is dynamic. People continue to reshape and remake places and regions. The central argument that follows is that we should care about a region like Africa and a place like Nigeria.

The first set of reasons for this argument is practical. Even though its place in the world is not prominent, it is important that we not "erase" Africa from our world political, cultural, and environmental maps. This section seeks to illustrate why knowledge and understanding of Africa is relevant today. To start with, Africa’s land area is over one-fifth of the entire world total. Included in this vast area are many different kinds of resources. These resources are not limited to things like gold, diamonds, and oil. Africa is also home to diverse ecosystems and a diverse collection of biotic species, especially in areas of tropical rain forest. Tropical rainforests are found in large portions of Central Africa and West Africa. Another important reason for Africa’s relevance is its growing demographic importance. As mentioned in other sections, the continent’s population growth rate is the highest in the world. Unless demographic conditions change substantially in the coming years, Africa will begin to rival Asia as the largest region in terms of population. While Africa has the highest rate of population growth in the world, it is also the poorest region of the world economically. There are several important implications of this last point. Partly because of its poverty, Africa tends to be a politically unstable region of the world. Poverty is also a major factor in many of Africa’s environmental problems. And, to the extent to which these environmental problems spread beyond Africa, they can affect those in other parts of the world. For example, worsening environmental conditions in an African country might encourage people to emigrate to nearby Europe. Conversely, global warming, which is mainly caused by developed countries may dramatically impact Africa, which is poorly situated to deal with significant climate change.

Globalization is interrelated with people’s changing notions of geographical justice. Whereas the extent of people’s moral concern only used to extend to those within their country, the people of the world increasingly view themselves as "global citizens." There are limits to this identification and many people would reject this assertion outright, but there is a very real trend in concern for those that are geographically distant. While actual geographical space has not changed, some people’s experience of vast distances has changed, especially those in the developed world. It is not an understatement to say that transportation and communication technologies are revolutionizing the way that some people perceive and think about foreign places and peoples. The old saying "out of sight and out mind" is increasingly being altered. One need only examine the way that international relations have changed in the last several years. International peacekeeping missions and international humanitarian interventions have been prominent features of the world political order. This is important in a discussion about Africa, since many humanitarian interventions have occurred in Africa. Geography helps us understand why Africa is the source of so many humanitarian problems like famines and refugee crises. As stated earlier, the continent is the poorest large region of the earth’s surface. This poverty and the political instability with which it is related, are closely linked with the legacies of European colonialism. Such negative legacies include: non-diversified economic production, extremely uneven regional development, and poorly drawn political boundaries. All of these legacies have contributed to the many misfortunes that have beset Africa in the post-independence period. Understanding the geography of these problems in the African context helps us understand some of the reasons why Africa in general has struggled so much in the last several decades. Geography not only helps us understand why Africa is the source of so many political and economic problems, it helps us interpret and predict what might happen in the future. International refugee and migration problems are good examples. The geographic perspective is crucial for understanding causes and evaluating responses to these humanitarian crises. For example, a geographic perspective on refugees helps us evaluate the environmental dimensions of human relocation and / dislocation. If agricultural land degradation is the immediate cause of displacement, what are the underlying causes of this environmental change? In terms of humanitarian response, if any, where should these displaced persons be resettled? What kinds of assistance should they be offered?

Let us return to this broad question of global justice. In this context, the most important issue for discussion is the "development gap" between poor countries and rich countries. Given that people in the developed world are far better off materially than those in the developing world (including Africa), what should be done to balance out this inequality? Should we do anything to help those countries mired in material poverty? Whatever one’s positions on these questions, geographic knowledge of the developing world is crucial. Unless we know what life is like for most Nigerians, how can we make intelligent decisions about how we should interact with them?

Futures for Nigeria and Africa

We now turn to specific issues for the future. What will life be like for Nigerians in the future? The intent here is not to accurately predict what will occur in Nigeria and Africa more broadly. Rather, the goal is to synthesize the material contained in the previous standards in seeking to understand the integrated process of social, political, cultural, economic, and environmental change. After all, none of these processes can be neatly separated from the others. They occur simultaneously and in an integrated way. Nonetheless, the discussion here focuses on a few big questions that will be critical in Nigeria’s future.

First, what will Nigeria’s place be in the emerging world system? How will Nigerians relate to and interact with those from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and so forth? Theses questions contain many different sub-questions and sub-issues. For example, will Nigeria continue to remain a predominantly rural and agricultural country? The experience of many developed countries suggests that the proportion of people working in agriculture will decline in the coming years. Similarly, the proportion of people living in rural areas is also likely to decline. Neither of these developments is certain, however. As many people have noted in recent years, it is not realistic to think that developing countries like Nigeria will go through a developmental process similar to that of the United States, Great Britain, or other developed countries. After all, the world has changed substantially in this era of intensified globalization. Many countries are much more outward-looking in terms of trade and economic relationships. If Nigeria chooses a path of deep integration with the rest of the global economy, what roles will it fill within this system? This is not to say that Nigeria does not presently have international economic relations. Nigeria’s role as a major oil exporter is evidence of this fact. Nonetheless, Nigeria and many other African countries play a very limited role in the world economy. Thus, we can speculate on how this situation may change in the future. Will Nigeria develop new prominence in manufacturing industries like textiles or light industrial products?

Another major question is how Nigeria will fit into a world that is increasingly driven by information and technology. Some commentators describe the current digital and information divides of the worlds in terms of a "fast world" and a "slow world." While these designations encompass many different characteristics, one of the most important is communications. Most Americans are aware of the "information revolution" that has occurred in the last decade. This revolution includes the widespread availability of the Internet, cell phones, and personal communication devices. As with other aspects of globalization, however, this revolution has not been geographically even. Those regions of the world that are excluded from this information revolution are included in the "slow world." Nigeria is clearly included within this world sphere. Basic telephone service, which most Americans take for granted, is still considered a luxury for the vast majority of people in Nigeria. In a place without widespread telephone connectivity, it makes little sense to worry about access to the Internet. Except for a few isolated server connections, most Nigerians remain outside of the networks of the "fast world." All of this matters a great deal because international business relies upon efficient communications infrastructure. This is one of the reasons why Nigeria is not a highly attractive country for international investment.

Thus, Nigeria is in a bind. If it can not spur its economy, it will not be able to improve its communications, transportation, and social infrastructure. If it can not improve its national infrastructure, it will not experience sufficient economic growth. Infrastructure is not the only problem hindering development, however. Nigeria’s political system has been one of the biggest hindrances of economic and social development in the post-independence period. A series of military dictatorships has dominated the country’s short political history. One of the major problems with these regimes is that they have facilitated and encouraged widespread corruption in government and in society generally. This is not only harmful for prospective investors. Corruption has sapped much of the economic life from Nigerians themselves. An interesting question for the future is whether the transition to democracy in 1999 can be sustained into the future. Further, can the deepening of democracy improve the nature of government and thereby facilitate genuine economic growth and social development?

Before we move on to another issue, it is important to reemphasize this point. Nigeria is one of the largest poor countries in the world. No one knows if it will continue to hold this status in the future. As this section has pointed out, there are many factors working against Nigeria’s ascent from mass poverty. There are reasons for hope, however. Nigeria has a wealth of untapped human talent that is not be used to its full potential. The country has the largest domestic market in all of Africa, a fact that makes it less vulnerable to international forces. Finally, the country recently entered into a new phase of civilian governance, a development that has given many people hope for the future. We now turn to another aspect of Nigeria’s future, its internal political stability.

It is not possible to approach current events without an understanding of history and geography. This is particularly true of ethnic relations in Nigeria. As standards 10 and 17 emphasized, Nigeria is a heterogeneous society composed of different ethnic groups, languages, and religions. Understanding the geographic distribution of ethnicity, languages, and religions is crucial in understanding contemporary social relations in Nigeria. If we conceive of Nigeria as a homogenous country composed of a relatively homogenous nationality, we will be prone to many errors about social, political, and cultural life in Nigeria. This is because Nigeria is not socially, culturally, or ethnically homogenous. This diversity has distinct geographic patterns. The country includes a diverse set of regions, identities, and regional identities. How these three phenomena relate to each other will be important in shaping the future of Nigeria. Many possible issues could be raised here. For example, how will Nigeria deal with its ethnic diversity in a politically sensitive way? How will Muslim demands for regional autonomy (e.g. demands for Islamic Sharia’a law) be addressed? How will Nigerians settle questions regarding a national language or languages? Will the majority of people continue to retain their local language as opposed to a national language? None of these questions have easy answers. Without geographical understanding and context, however, it is not even possible to address the complexity of these issues.

Population growth is another important and complex issue facing Nigeria. As stated earlier, Nigeria has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. This is important because its high rate of growth is coupled with a large absolute population. And, while its population density is not as high as a region like Europe, Nigeria is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. The situation of Nigeria is not unique in the developing world. There are many poor countries with very high rates of population growth. With improvements in health care, the death rates in these countries declined substantially in the twentieth century. The birth rate has not fallen at a proportional rate, however. High population growth is the result. One of the major factors that sustains high growth rates is the incentive for individual households to have more children. Children are a source of agricultural labor, urban labor, and they often provide social security for parents in their old age. At the level of society, however, large families impose social and economic costs. Cities can become overcrowded and governments overburdened with the costs of education and social welfare services. Will Nigeria undergo a demographic transition to a more stable population? If this change does occur, it will be gradual in nature. The implications of such a change would be immense, however. Sadly, AIDS alone could quickly slow population growth. This is already occurring in such countries as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. In these countries, AIDS is seriously affecting national life expectancy and annual population growth rates. To date, Nigeria has not been affected to the same degree as these countries. There is no guarantee that it will not.

One key set of issues remains. That is environmental futures. It is important to note that Nigerian environmental futures, whether local, regional, or national, cannot be separated from the issues discussed above. Society-environment relations must incorporate issues like regional economic development, political stability, and population change. As noted in an earlier discussion, poverty is a critical cause of environmental degradation. People are often restricted in their environmental stewardship by their poor economic status. Thus, instead of preserving a resource base, they may be forced to over-exploit that resource for short-term survival. Thus, it is clear that economic development and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive issues. This is certainly the case in Nigeria.

Is there a trade-off, however, between sound environmental management and economic development? Many people assert that there is, particularly when one considers the dynamics of the global economy. While it was noted above that government corruption might be a deterrent to international investment, it is also true that lax environmental regulation and low labor standards are also major incentives for international firms. The argument is as follows. Companies currently producing products in developed countries can often reduce their costs by relocating to countries with lax or loosely enforced environmental laws. If the government of a developing country decides that it wants to tighten its environmental laws or enforcement, it must keep in mind the consequences of such action. The most important consequence is that it may be lose out to another location with looser environmental regulation. And, by failing to attract foreign investment, the country may find itself with fewer resources to deal with environmental problems like soil erosion, deforestation, or poor drinking water. This marks one of the key dilemmas of globalization that has yet to resolved. International institutions like the World Trade Organization, The World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund have certainly not been able to resolve these tensions that are inherent within globalization.

In a broad way then, developing countries like Nigeria often receive environmental costs that originate in the developed world. Global climate change is a good example of this. Climate change that has mainly been caused by rich developed countries will likely have some harmful consequences for poor developing countries like Nigeria. If global warming proves as significant as many scientists think, what are the obligations of the developed world to those regions of the world that are affected by rich countries’ past economic activities? Another example of international environmental injustice is the trade in wastes, both toxic and otherwise. Given its poverty and its proximity to Europe and North America, Africa (Nigeria included) has been a key receiving region of the developed world’s wastes. Relationships such as these require us to ask if it is just for the poor countries of the world to receive the wastes of the wealthy merely because they are poor? This and other questions raised in this essay point to the fact that any consideration of the future must address the question of what should be.

Conclusion

This essay has focused on two primary themes. It first addressed the theme of why we should concern ourselves with events and processes in a distant and seemingly remote region like Africa. The major thrust of this discussion was that places and regions do not exist in isolation. Particularly in an age of intensified globalization, ours is a world of interconnections between many different places at different geographic scales. This section also addressed the geography of moral concern. Specifically, how far should our concern extend? The second theme dealt with specific issues of importance to Nigeria’s future. The underlying message of this discussion was that without geographic context and understanding, our perspectives on current and future events are necessarily limited.

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