Nigeria / Nijeriya.

Federal Republic of Nigeria/Republik Nijeriya/Njíkötá Óchíchìiwù Naíjíríà (Igbo)/Republik Federaal bu Niiseriya (Fula)/Àpapọ̀ Olómìnira ilẹ̀ Nàìjíríà (Yoruba)
Nijeriya (Hausa)
The unit of currency is the naira. Bring only US dollars cash to Nigeria travellers cheques are useless, although ATMs are becoming more widespread in cities. Avoid using a credit card in Nigeria because of fraud.There are banks aplenty, but virtually none offer currency exchange youll have to change on the street. Moneychangers are almost always Hausa, so its usually a safe bet to ask around at the towns mosque. In our experience, the moneychangers are among the most honest in Africa. Western Union branches are everywhere if you need to get money wired to you.Nigeria has a poor reputation for safety and civil unrest and yet, for the traveller, it can seem like the friendliest and most welcoming country in western Africa. Navigating these apparently contradictory states is the key to getting the most out of your visit.Consistently the most troubled region of the country is the Niger Delta, due to the long-running grievances between the local population and the big oil companies, where the kidnapping of Western oil employees is a continued threat. In the north, communal disturbances between Muslims and Christians periodically spill over into bloody violence. Stay clear of demonstrations and areas where you suddenly see large numbers of police or army troops. Lagos has a terrible reputation for violent crime, not always undeserved. As a traveller youre unlikely to have trouble with corruption and bribery. Police roadblocks are common, but fines and bribes are paid by the driver. Some caution should be exercised on the major highways into Lagos, where armed robbery is a problem, although almost always at night.Nigeria today:Obasanjo inherited a country in tatters. Free from the military yoke, the deep political and cultural differences between the north and south of the country began to play themselves out in an unruly manner. A major test came in 2000 when several northern states introduced sharia (Islamic law). Tensions between communities became inflamed, resulting in mass riots and bloodshed. The flames were fanned again in 2002 when Nigeria was due to hold the Miss World contest, an event that caused fresh outbreaks of fighting. During Obasanjos first term as president, over 10, 000 people were killed in communal violence.One area where Obasanjo has had success was in returning Nigeria as a player on the international stage. Nigeria now plays a lead role in the Commonwealth and as a regional peacemaker. Obasanjos re-election in 2003 was generally regarded as consolidating civilian rule. Despite this, domestic critics have claimed his high international profile is a distraction from tackling Nigerias myriad problems.Nigerias economy has not prospered. A much-publicised anti-corruption drive has had mixed results, claiming back some of Abachas stolen millions but netting few high-profile officials on the make. A major achievement was the cancelling of Nigerias debts in 2005, but attempts to revamp the neglected oil industry have been less successful. Repeated governments neglected the oil infrastructure to the point where Nigeria was left needing to import refined fuel at a higher price than it sold its crude for, resulting in frequent petrol shortages. Government plans to remove fuel subsidies in 2004 were met with a crippling general strike by Nigerians seeing cheap fuel as a birthright, having seen many of the other benefits of statehood pass them by. This sense of alienation is particularly acute in the oil-producing delta. In 2005, local militias put their case against marginalisation by launching guerrilla attacks on oil installations.Elections are next due in 2007. With Obasanjo constitutionally barred from standing for a third term, Babangida fancies another attempt at running the country, this time as a civilian. As Nigeria continues to lurch from crisis to crisis, whoever takes on the challenge will have a lot on their plate.

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