Publication

The first steps in this report were taken more than a year ago, well before ill health weakened and then led to the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. At present, few things are certain about Nigeria or the Niger Delta, and stability is a key concern for international actors. This report argues that the quest for stability is counterproductive. The region has not been trapped in the fossilized state that has crumbled only recently in North Africa. Change from the status quo is inevitable; the question is whether the region will be trapped in deepening cycles of violence or whether sundry actors can assist in making a remarkable break with the recent past.