Ahead of the presidential election in Nigeria this weekend, we look at the latest commentary on the country from the Africa@LSE blog.
Nigerians go to the polls on 25 February, and the ruling party is not in the best of shape; wracked by internal divisions and the weight of its time in office.
Meanwhile, Labour Party candidate Peter Obi is riding the wave of youth engagement with his campaign as he looks to score a major political upset.
Whether he wins or loses this weekend, the ‘Obidient Movement’ has reshaped Nigerian politics.
The election is not the only major news story in Nigeria this week. A cash crisis has gripped the country after new notes were issued for Nigeria’s currency, but not enough were printed to go around. Could online banking help avoid scenes of people queueing at banks in the future?
Whoever is in charge come Monday morning will also have to deal with continued corruption across Nigeria.
The scale and ubiquity of such behaviour have led social media users to compare the country’s politicians to internet fraudsters.
Perhaps this is why Nigeria is running low on trust and taxes.
Meanwhile, time might have come for Nigeria to rethink its trade policies.
Join us in the coming weeks when we will discuss the new president of Nigeria and the challenges that await their term in office.
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