Africa Up Close

Nigeria is widely, and perhaps rightly, perceived as a conflict-prone country. In recent times, ongoing violent conflicts centered around the Boko Haram insurgency and farmer/herder tensions have dominated peacebuilding conversations. Even more recently, Nigeria has experienced the EndSARS protest and the civil disturbances that have followed. This latest conflict could nonetheless yield important lessons on crisis mismanagement, especially along the trajectory between peace and violence.

Much has been achieved, but still more remains to be done. Photo by European Union 2016 – European Parliament, via Flickr. Creative Commons.

A year ago, President Muhammadu Buhari assumed the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His assumption followed an epochal election in the country’s history. It was the first time that an incumbent president lost an election and, without legal rancor and political violence, handed over power to the opposition, a rare occurrence in Africa to date. The close of his first year in office presents an opportunity to assess the achievements and failures of the government so far.