According to a UN report released in 2013, the population of Nigeria is expected to surpass
the population of the US sometime before the year 2050 - which would put them third in
the world behind India and China.
Experts expect to see major economic growth during this time.
So, how powerful is Nigeria?
Well, it’s more powerful than you may think.
The nation has two major things going for it - its massive population and its natural
resources.
Nigeria is the most densely populated African country, with around 177 Million people in
2014.
That’s nearly twice the number of people in Africa’s second most populous country,
Ethiopia.
And the large population lends itself to a large military, which has helped neighboring
countries to promote peace in the region.
The Economist notes that Nigeria’s military is not well-trained, as of 2014, but that
the government has recently decided to invest 1 Billion dollars toward improvements.
Many news agencies also report high levels of corruption within Nigeria’s security
forces, especially with money handling.
As it stands now, Nigeria’s military power is certainly formidable in the region, but
it’s not Africa’s strongest.
It has yet to get a handle on internal terrorist groups, like Boko Haram, which have killed
more than a thousand people since December 2013, according to the UN.
Natural resources also contribute to Nigeria's power.
Oil deposits are abundant, and they have made Nigeria the wealthiest country in Africa.
Telecommunications, agriculture, and a unique entertainment industry which rivals the output
of Hollywood, also contribute to the economy, which is growing at a rapid pace.
The United States is Nigeria’s largest foreign investor - and many more countries also want
to financially partner with the nation.
Nigeria is attractive because of their oil wealth and because of it’s has a mostly-stable
democratic government.
Nigeria offers a much desired and crucial diplomatic link between western powers and
africa.
Internal violence and rampant poverty still challenge Nigeria, but its future looks promising.
An analyst from Moody’s Investors Service is confident that the nation will “number
among the world’s 15 largest economies by 2050.”
To learn more about the increasing power of Nigeria, check out this awesome video from
our friends at AJ+