Nigeria has a democratic political regime. The majority of the population elects the political class. The political structure that is the federal and state governments are selected according to the constitution of Nigeria. The elected leaders represent the views of the many, and the composition is the supreme law of the land. Before the rise of president Obasanjo in 1999, Nigeria was under a military dictatorship ( Magbadelo, 2015).
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country. According to Bormann, Cederman, and Vogt (2017), the large population has a different ethnic background which is part of the 250 ethnic groups. There are about 500 different languages spoken in Nigeria. Three ethnic groups form the majority of the population with Hausa/Fulani making up 29%, Yoruba constitute 21% and Ibo, which make up about 18% of Nigerians. There are other small ethnic groups such as Ijaw which makes up 10% of the population, Kanuri, Ibo-Efik, and Tiv that constitute 4%, 3.5% and 2.5 % of the community. Minority ethnic groups like Edo, Nupe and other tribes each hold less than 1% of the population but forms about 13% of the people in total.
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Nigerians are black African by race but are differentiated by their origin and languages. The black Nigerian make more than 99% of the population. Other races, like white Americans and Europeans, make up less than 1%.
Nigeria is a highly religious country. The Nigerian population is made up of two extensive religious regimes. 50% of the Nigerian population is Muslim, while 40 % are Christian with the remaining 10% practicing traditional African religion. Fulani and Hausa groups that are dominant in the northern states are predominantly Muslims Bormann, Cederman, and Vogt (2017) . The ethnic groups residing in the southern parts of Nigeria are primarily Christians. The Yoruba tribe, which is the dominant group in southwest Nigeria, practice traditional Yoruba religion, Muslim and Christianity. The Nigerian constitution prohibits state and local governments from declaring an official faith.
The political environment is guided by the rule of law. The political climate only faces conflict when there is an election. The Nigerian political environment is affected by-elections in most of the cases. The competition between the Christians and the Muslims for the presidency has always had a tension effect on the political environment. Despite these political tensions, the politics of Nigeria are embedded in the constitution. Adherence to the rule of law has played a significant role in making changes in conflict and political environment ( Bergstresser, 2017)
Nigeria’s political environment is highly influenced by corruption. Corruptions are deeply rooted in the political environment in Nigeria. A political decision such as contracts and rising in politics and administration is highly connected to a person’s deep pockets. Nigerian political leaders have been engaged in unethical exploitation of their political positions for personal gains. Electoral corruption which includes fraud political activities such results manipulation, election rigging, and ballot stuffing is prevalent in Nigeria ( Bergstresser, 2017) .
The economic environment in Nigeria is governed by the rule of law. The law provides that all resources are to be shared accordingly to each state. The Government controls all the economic activities. The Nigeria constitution provides that anyone both residents and non-residents have the right to carry out economic activity in Nigeria with the permission of the Government. Industrial disputes, especially in oil-rich states, are common when the locals are protesting the state of poverty despite the oil wealth. Nigeria is among the largest economies in Africa. Corruption is one of the biggest challenges to the political and economic environment, and it is evident from Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Bukari's regimes ( Magbadelo, 2015) . The economic environment in Nigeria is, however, threatened by crimes such as corruption. Corruption is estimated to cost about 37% of Nigeria’s GDP by 2030. The corruption in Nigeria is said to be draining the small and medium businesses. The crime is reported to be crippling the vital economic sectors of Nigeria like the minerals ( Bergstresser, 2017) .
The social and cultural environment in Nigeria is highly influenced by the three major tribes such as Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, and Igbos. Nigeria is known to embrace its cultural diversity. Today, half of Nigeria's population, especially young people live in urban areas. Education has highly been emphasized as part of the Nigerian social life. However, inequity persists in Nigeria that some areas receive better social amenities such as school than others ( Bergstresser, 2017) .
Social imbalance in Nigeria has led to three major social classes in society ( Bergstresser, 2017) . The affluent class is known to own most of the state resources such as industries, large trucks of land and are in politics and life in the affluent areas of the country. The middle class in Nigeria is known to be the economic engine that provides labor to the industries and businesses in the country and live in industrial and urban areas. The low class is the poor who are left in the rural areas where they face challenges such as hunger and diseases and engage in activities such as pastoralism and farming.
The social and cultural inequality causes conflict among the different tribes in Nigeria. Nigeria does not face racism but faces other social challenges such as tribalism, nepotism, and corruption that affect the cultural environment. Cultural differences and challenges have been known to be a cause of conflict, thus hindering economic growth and development. In the past Xenophobic attacks on foreigners have not been common in Nigeria. However, in 2019, Nigeria responded similarly to xenophobic attacks on its citizens in South Africa.
Conflict
There is both violent and non-violent conflict in Nigeria. According to the 2019 Global Peace index, Nigeria has been ranked 148 th among 163 independent countries (Institute for Economics and Peace, 2019). Political, economic, and social unrest in Nigeria makes it among the least peaceful countries in Africa. Since independent Nigeria has been troubled by political conflicts, terrorism, electoral violence, religious, and military, and youth restiveness conflict. Religious conflict between the Christian and the Muslims is a never-ending challenge to Nigeria (Bormann, Cederman & Vogt, 2017) . Political violence is collected during the state or national electioneering period.
According to Bormann, Cederman, and Vogt (2017), ethnic or Tribal wars in Nigeria like that of the Fulani herdsmen and farmers are common. The leading cause of the conflict is catalyzed by drought. Niger Delta conflicts have remained an enormous challenge to the peace of Nigeria. Serious violence in Niger Delta which is ignited by the various militant groups and the people in these regions who complain of poverty despite the region being rich in oil. Groups such as MEND and DNA attack the major oil mines and pipelines in protest against the inequality in the way the Government treats the people. Nigeria faces terrorist violence, especially from Boko Haram, which is known for its terror attacks and kidnappings. Youth restiveness, like those of the young Igbo protesters in 2015, has marked the country over the years because of inequality, poverty, and unemployment ( Bergstresser, 2017) .
Nigeria neighbors enjoy relatively deep peace. Benin borders Nigeria to the west is rather a peaceful country but is faced with electoral violence, especially in 2019. Niger which borders Nigeria to the North, has experienced terrorism from the insurgence terrorist groups from Neighbouring countries like Nigeria and Mali and the collapse of Libya. Suicide attacks from Boko Haram in the past have caused deaths in the past. Niger also experiences political stalemate, which has led to military rules over the years. Armed rebellion from communities such as Tuareg has been experienced in the past three decades. Niger faces internal conflict, which has caused over 100,000 Internally Displaced people and over 200,000 people from neighboring countries. Chad also experiences both violent and non-violent conflict. The non-violence conflict includes kidnapping and hostage-taking. Terrorism and rebellion in chad have resulted in violent conflicts that arise in deaths. Cameroon is a relatively peaceful country with non-violent conflicts.
References
Bergstresser, H. (2017). A Decade of Nigeria: Politics, Economy, and Society 2004-2016 . Brill.
Bormann, N. C., Cederman, L. E., & Vogt, M. (2017). Language, religion, and ethnic civil war. Journal of Conflict Resolution , 61 (4), 744-771.
Institute for Economics and Peace. (2019). Global Peace Index, 2019. Measuring peace in a Complex World. Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/GPI-2019-web003.pdf
Magbadelo, J. O. (2015). Okonjo-Iweala, Ngozi. Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria. Journal of Third World Studies , 32 (2), 261.
