Nigeria is due to hold elections in the next two weeks. It is the closest election in Nigeria's history. This is a time when Nigeria will either make its mark as Africa's preeminent nation, or slide back into a sleeping giant. How the country conducts elections will make or break it. In April 2014, Nigeria became Africa's largest economy, after rebasing to account for previously neglected sectors such as Nollywood and the telecommunications sector. According to a poll by afrobarometer, the two main Presidential candidates, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, are tied at 40 percent, and the election outcome is too close to call. According to former US assistant secretary for African affairs Johnnie Carson, Nigeria is faced with three main problems. One, the cascading violence in the north east, the close elections in mid February, and the drop in oil prices. Even if these problems are huge, they can still be surmounted, and make Nigeria take its place in the league of nations.
This is the point to be optimistic about the Nigerian story. According to writer Amy Chua, author of the Triple Package, a book that highlights why some groups of people are successful, the writer mentions that Nigerian Americans are some of the most successful groups in the United States. If Nigerians abroad are succeeding, then the Nigerian election should be one step in which the country strives to provide opportunities to its young and upcoming politicians. A
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