Nigeria at the Crossroads

NIGER

LAKE

CHAD

SOKOTO

CHAD

SOKOTO

KATSINA

KOMADUGU

ZAMFARA KATSINA

JIGAWA

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

KADUNA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

BAUCHI

KAINJ RESERVOIR

BENIN

GOMBE

NIGER

JOS

ADAMAWA

MINNA

PLATEAU NIGERIA

YOLA

ABUJA

KWARA

JALINGO

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

LAFIA

ILORIN

NASSARAWA

OYO

TARABA

EKITI

LOKOJA

OSHOGBO

KOGI

IBADAN

MAKURDI

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

BENUE

AKURE

ABEOKUTA

OGUN

ONDO

EDO

ENUGU

IKEJA

CAMEROUN

LAGOS

ABAKALIKI

AWKA

BENIN CITY

ENUGU

ASABA

EBONYI

ANAMBRA

BIGHT OF BENIN

CROSS RIVER

DELTA NIGER

LAKE

ABIA

CHAD

STATES OFFICIALLY INTRODU MORE THAN 20 YEA

UMUAHIA

SOKOTO

OWERRI

States with islamic law North-South Axis

CHAD

AKWA IBOM

SOKOTO

CALABAR

GULF OF GUINEA

KATSINA

RIVERS

KOMADUGU

YENAGOA

MILITANT ISLAM

UYO

BEYELSA JIGAWA

ZAMFARA KATSINA

PORT HARCOURT

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

© Aid to the Church in Need, 2023 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is visible acknowledged. CONFLICT BETWEEN FARMER

BIGHT OF BIAFRA

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

ARMED BANDITS AND CRIMIN

KADUNA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

1.3. The North-South Axis Nigeria is by no means a homogeneous country. Over 250 ethnic groups and indigenous languages express the diversity and rich- ness of the country. To understand the situation in the country it is very important to speak about a prevailing international typecasting between the north and the south of the country. Some Nigerians speak from a position of “geographical ignorance” between both parts 1 . Many South Nigerians believe that there are no Christians in the North, even if states like Gombe or Kaduna have a Christian population of almost 50% and in Borno, the cradle of Boko Haram, 30% of the population is Christian. The major ethnic groups are also geographically divided: the Hausa, the Fulani and the Kanuri are dominant in the north and Yoruba, Igbo and Tiv in the south. Before the arrival of British power, north, south, west, and east had different idiosyncrasies and lived their own ethnic, political and religious realities. The first step of British expansion in the MINNA TARABA BENUE ANAMBRA KOGI ENUGU EBONYI CROSS RIVER BAUCHI GOMBE JOS LOKOJA ASABA AWKA ENUGU ABAKALIKI UMUAHIA OWERRI PORT HARCOURT UYO CALABAR MAKURDI LAFIA JALINGO YOLA ABUJA BIGHT OF BIAFRA FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY PLATEAU NASSARAWA RIVERS ABIA AKWA IBOM NIGERIA

region was the annexation of Lagos in 1861. In 1885, at the Berlin Conference, Britain claimed rights to the Niger Basin. In 1906 the British amalgamated the Lagos Colony and Protectorate with the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria to form the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. In 1914 these territories in the south were united with the protectorate of Northern Nigeria, giving birth to the geo-political unit that we now know as Nigeria. However, the territories maintained their regional authorities, divided after 1914 into three local units. The announcement of their dissolution by the military government after the first coup in 1966 triggered violent reactions in the north against southerners who had settled among them. This was one of the factors that contributed to the outbreak of the civil war. The antagonism between the north and the south suffered a se- rious resurgence during the restoration of Sharia in 12 of the 20 northern states in 2000 and has increased in recent years, fueled by the conflicts described in chapter 3 of this report. It should be mentioned that “north” and “south” do not always match the perception that an observer would see on a map.

NORESTE HAUSA – F

NIGER

ADAMAWA

NOROESTE KANU

KWARA

CENTRO OESTE JU

ILORIN

CAMEROUN

SUR OESTE TIV

EKITI

OSHOGBO

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

AKURE

CENTRO SUR IGB

ONDO

EDO

BENIN CITY

SURESTE YORU

DELTA

FRONTERA

A

YENAGOA

BEYELSA

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