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The Trilateral Bond: Mapping a New Era for Latin America, the United States, and Europe
Egypt's Litigious Transition: Judicial Intervention and the Muddied Road to Democracy
A New Deal: Reforming US Defense Cooperation with Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Ambitious but Achievable
Time to Move from Tactics to Strategy on Iran
Lowering the Price of Russian Gas: A Challenge for European Energy Security
Does Beijing Have a Strategy? China's Alternative Futures
Council News
Michele Dunne and Amy Hawthorne on US Policy in Middle East (NPR)
Hariri Center Director Michele Dunne and Senior Fellow Amy Hawthorne reflect on US policy toward the Middle East and North Africa in the two years since President Barack Obama promised to make it a top priority to support democracy and human rights in the region.
J. Peter Pham Speaks on Sahel Politics and Security in The Hague
J. Peter Pham, director the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, was one of four experts invited to address a high-level international conference on the crisis in the Sahel region convened today in The Hague.
Rudolph Atallah Testifies before House Panel on Crisis in the Sahel
Rudolph Atallah, senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, testified at a House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on “The Growing Crisis in Africa’s Sahel Region.”
Mihaela Carstei on the US-Canada Keystone Pipeline Project (CTV)
On the heels of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to the United States, Energy & Environment Program Associate Director Mihaela Carstei joins CTV to discuss the Keystone Pipeline project that would transport tar sands oil from Canada and the northern United States to refineries in the Gulf coast of Texas.
Nigeria on the Edge
January 31, 2012
On January 31, the Atlantic Council’s Michael S. Ansari Africa Center hosted a panel discussion, “Nigeria On The Edge”, featuring Ambassador John Campbell, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and former US Ambassador to Nigeria; Peter Lewis, Director of African Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies of the Johns Hopkins University; and Phillip van Niekerk, former editor, Mail & Guardian, and Managing Partner, Calabar Consulting. The panel, moderated by Ansari Center director J. Peter Pham, analyzed key developments in Nigeria over the past year as well as the current crisis; revisiting the April 2011 elections and the challenges that Goodluck Jonathan's government has faced, as well as the recent wave of attacks by the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram that have targeted both Christians and Muslims and the widespread protests following the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies.
Nigerian analysts commonly split between two narratives. The first describes Nigeria as shining star in the African continent, producing an internationally-accredited presidential election, robust economic growth, a sincere effort to fight corruption, and an empowered civil society. The second tells of a Nigeria plagued by ethnic and religious strife, inadequate and corrupt governance, pervasive poverty and inequality, and rising incidents of violence and protest. The remarkable economic progress and the deteriorating security situation the country has experienced in the past year plays into both these narratives, but regardless of which interpretation better reflects the reality of events on the ground, panelists agreed that the Nigerian government has an enormous task ahead. While the country’s future prosperity largely comes down to the political will of the current administration to meet the demands of the Nigerian people, the panelists were cautiously optimistic that Nigeria and its international partners could find ways to address the country's critical security issues while also sustaining the political and economic progress it has made.
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AUDIO (.mp3)
PRESS COVERAGE
- Nigeria’s Future Bothers Washington - Elor Nkereuwem, Premium Times
- Atlantic Council:Project Nigeria Debate Goes Offshore - William Ekanem, Business World (Lagos)
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FEATURED EVENTS
Evolving US-European Security Cooperation with the Gulf States
On May 23, the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Peace and Security Initiative at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security is hosting a panel discussion on new developments in security cooperation among the United States, its European allies, and the Gulf states, and how they are likely to evolve in the coming years.
The Kaleidoscope Turns Again in a Crisis-Challenged Iran
On May 30, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center will release a new issue brief, The Kaleidoscope Turns Again in a Crisis-Challenged Iran, a discussion of Iran’s upcoming presidential elections.
2013 Wroclaw Global Forum
From June 13-14, the 2013 Wrocław Global Forum will bring together over 350 top policy-makers and business leaders to explore the region’s impact as an actor in Europe, as well as its crucial role in the transatlantic partnership and on the global stage.
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