just in: Christiano Ronaldo wins UEFA player of the year

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named UEFA player of the year. Ronaldo won the Champions League and Euro 2016.

Olympics: Shakur Stevenson crushed in Rio De Janeriio!

Shakur Stevenson took a seat on a small, folding plastic chair, a spot normally reserved for security guards to rest. 

This was behind the boxing venue, out in the open, out where his emotion was still raw.

The 19-year-old doubled over as he sat, weeping heavily and screaming loudly. 

He was uncontrollable and inconsolable, a teenager incapable of processing a split-decision defeat at the hands of Cuban Robeisy Ramirez.

This was Olympic devastation, when a silver medal is considered a loss, when a kid can’t yet step back and see the big picture. 

From the past (the journey from the gyms of Newark, N.J., to an Olympic podium) to the present (his silver medal was the best U.S. men’s boxing result since 2004)

to the future (an extremely promising professional career ahead). Yes, he wanted gold, but this was a long way to come with a long way to go.

None of it mattered in the moment. Not after a high-class fight at the bantamweight division. Ramirez of Cuba was the considerable favorite, 

looking to duplicate the gold he won in London. He was older, 22, more experienced and a big talent in his own right.

Shakur Stevenson was distraught after his loss in the gold-medal fight. (Reuters)

Ramirez clearly won the first round. Stevenson rallied to win the second. And in the finale, a late flurry by the Cuban may have been enough to tip the judges.

Two of the three went for him. Just one gave it to Stevenson.

It was that close.

As the decision was announced Stevenson could only cover his face with his shirt. 

He was gracious enough to repeatedly congratulate Ramirez and he never cast doubt on the decision. “It was a close fight,” he said.

He couldn’t hide the pain, though. He didn’t want to try to hide the pain.

“I felt like I let a lot of people down,” Stevenson said later. “I’m disappointed in myself. I’m crushed.”

He let no one down. He shouldn’t be disappointed in himself. He was wailing in pain anyway.

“He’s been uncontrollable here, crying,” Team USA coach Billy Walsh said. “In some respects he has to get ready for the medal ceremony.”

Stevenson would gather himself for that, fight out a few smiles and find a silver medal draped around his neck.

That was part of Stevenson’s disappointment, he wanted to begin the restoration of USA Boxing. 

For decades it was the most feared team in the world, producing a parade of greats from Muhammad Ali to Sugar Ray Leonard to Oscar De La Hoya and so on. 

It’s been mostly disappointment after disappointment the past decade and a half.

“Of course it hurts,” said Kay Koroma, Stevenson’s personal coach. “You go through something like that, [it’s like] they pulled everything out of you.

 … Once he realizes the best of the best had to pull out everything in the bag, [he’ll say], ‘That was my gold medal.’

“Shakur Stevenson woke America up,” Koroma continued. “Shakur Stevenson made America smile. It wasn’t just Newark, it was all of America. 

I told him, ‘Your smile is golden.’ ”

Stevenson’s future is beyond bright. He has tremendous reach and defensive skills. His coaches rave about his work ethic and dedication. 

There is a charisma to him, a likable, sellable personality in a sport desperate for one. 

There’s an inspiring backstory of growing up the oldest of nine children in Newark’s Central Ward neighborhood. 

There are quirky marketing bits like how he was named after Tupac Shakur and for a stretch lived on Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

Shakur Stevenson’s silver medal was the best by an American man in boxing since 2004. (Reuters)

Floyd Mayweather has declared Stevenson the next Floyd Mayweather, which is the highest compliment Floyd Mayweather can give. 

Perhaps it’s not just because Mayweather wants to sign him to his promotion, The Money Team. Mayweather flew down to Rio to watch his fights and recruit him. 

Everyone is recruiting the kid, though.

“I haven’t signed with anybody,” Stevenson said, promising to go home and weigh the options.

Professional boxing is a tough game, a brutal game where nothing is certain. He at least has all the markings of the next big star.

Fans “should expect one of the best boxers coming up,” Stevenson said. “I want to be a great pro. I want to break records. I want to win titles.

I am not going to the pros with the gold medal that I wanted, but … hey.”

Over and over, the loss kept dragging him back. That will fade eventually, but not now. Maybe that’s a good thing.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world,” Walsh said. “I’ve been there many times. Too many times. To be sitting in a dressing room after losing. 

To be sitting in a dressing room losing when maybe you had the opportunity to win, when you’ve been good enough to win. He had a massive opportunity to do that.

“We often learn more from a loss than a victory. When you’re winning it masks over the cracks. Today we saw the cracks what they were. 

He has the idea and the tools to mend that. What he needs is a bit higher work rate and he’ll be here for a time to come.”

Stevenson probably understands that, but the tears said he could’ve lived without the lesson for the day.

He said he hopes he meets Ramirez one day as a pro, promising a different result.

On a day he dreamed for forever, after a fight he’d trained relentlessly toward, the future felt a long way off. 

This was the brutality of defeat, a teenager ripped apart, Olympic style.

“I’m going to come back stronger,” Stevenson said

Selfless: Meet the poorest president who gives out his money to charity

Most of the leaders in the world are more concerned about looting the country’s funds and building empires for themselves. They do not care about the poor neither do they think about their subjects who voted them in. Most of these leaders only have their own interests and that of their families at heart. They enjoy being treated as first class citizens and do not joke with the luxuries their positions offer them.

Jose Alberto ‘Pepe’ Mujica Cordano is a highly respected man in Uruguay. He is said to be the world’s poorest president as he served his country between 2010 and 2015 as the fortieth president of Uruguay. What made Mujica different and unique when compared to the other presidents that have served was his act of benevolence. His austerity made people refer to him as the world’s poorest president. He chose to live on a farm despite having access to the presidential mansion. He decided to live in a simple house located in a rural area outside Montevideo.

The lifestyle of Mujica is an interesting one as he prefers to live simply despite being paid an amount equivalent to twelve thousand US dollars per month. The intriguing part of this is that about ninety percent of his earning goes to the poor and small-scale entrepreneurs. After giving out ninety percent of his salary, Mujica is left with an amount that is equivalent to an average Uruguay’s earning per month. Despite his act of charity, he does not feel poor and enjoys his life on the farm.

It is quite possible for Mujica to embrace this life of solitude due to the time he spent in jail. His past revealed that he was the former leader of some guerilla group called Tupemaros. This group was a violent one that used a Robin Hood-like strategy to fight for the poor. Fourteen years in confinement remolded him and changed his way of life.

His political views are unsettling considering the fact that he supports the same-sex marriage, abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana. While assessing his way of life and the things he does, people feel he does not act like a president but he is no doubt someone the poor relates with.

His leadership style is living by example; his choices clearly reflect that. He does not see himself as someone who lacks the basic things of life as he embraces this lifestyle. In addition to living on a farm, his official car is a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

He has lived like that all his life and is happy with what he has. His perspective about his life is an interesting one.

Touching: See who Jay Jay Okocha celebrates birthday with.

Former Super Eagles striker Austin Okocha celebrated his 43rd birthday with the Internally  People (IDP) in their camp located at Kuchigoro, Abuja. Jay Jay Okocha,  his brother Emmanuel Okocha alongside his partners donated materials such as food items, educational kits and sports kits to the IDP Camp. Campers also received tactical soccer training, self-development training and educational training from the former Paris Saint Germain (PSG) midfielder and his crew time at the camp. Okocha also distributed books to children in the camp as part of educating young minds making them know the value of education.

The former Bolton Wanderers captain recently launched the Jay Jay Okocha Foundation, a non- profit organisation aimed at using football to raise awareness on the strategic importance of Education, Peace and Unity for the economic growth of Nigeria. Okocha retired from the national team in 2006 where he played 75 matches scoring 14 goals and was a member of the Dream Team that won gold in Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

See The 10 Poorest States In Nigeria

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, these 10 states are the poorest in Nigeria with over 70% poverty rate. A survey carried out on the bureau’s website, disclosed that Sokoto remains the poorest state in Nigeria with an 81.2% poverty rate. 

1. Sokoto Sokoto has unfriendly climate conditions with temperature going as high as 45C on a normal day. Most parts of the state are rural areas and over eighty percent (80%) of the inhabitants of Sokoto practice one form of agriculture or another.

 2. Katsina Katsina is a state in North central Nigeria and has the highest poverty prevalence among all states in the region.

 3. Adamawa Formed in 1991 from the extinct Gongola state, Adamawa has of late been terrorized by the Boko Haram terrorists, disrupting its economic development and growth. 

4. Gombe Gombe is another North eastern state which suffers sporadic attacks from terrorists. 

5. Jigawa Jigawa state is situated in the north-western part of the country. It is mostly populated by the Hausa/Fulani, who are spread throughout the state. It has a 74.1 percent poverty rate. 

6. Plateau Plateau state is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria haunted by some terrorist attacks and tribal clashes from time to time, especially clashes between Fulani herdsmen and its inhabitants. 

7. Ebonyi Ebonyi is the only south-eastern state among the top 9 poorest country. 

8. Bauchi In Hausa the word Bauchi means the land of freedom and tourism. However recent Boko Haram adventures in the area, though few, have driven tourists away from the area.

 9. Kebbi It is bordered by Sokoto State,Niger State,Dosso Regionin the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. The recently concluded Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA), stands out as one of Nigeria’s most sophisticated airports and is expected to boost the state’s economy. 

10. Zamfara Recently the governor was blasted for the “alarming scope of economic dangers and its potential threat to the economic development of the state,” by the Zamfara Budget Working Group. 

Niger is the state with the lowest poverty rate which is 33.8%. It was followed by Osun (37.9%) and Ondo (45.7%). Bayelsa (47%) and Lagos (48.6%) have less than 50% poverty rate. 
The average poverty rate in the Northwest geopolitical zone is 71.4%, which remained the highest in the said area. It is followed by the Northeast region which has 69.1% and the North central region which has 60.7%. Poverty was least dominant in the Southwest (49.8%), South-South (55.5%), and South-East regions (59.5%).

Just in! Timaya meets Rihanna in Barbados. What they did will shock you.

Timaya the music star who’s currently in Barbados for the country’s music festival met Rihanna after his performance on stage.

Amadi Tv: Meet the world's most deformed person. The sight w...

Amadi Tv: Meet the world's most deformed person. The sight w...: Rudy Santos, a 69 year old from the Philippines, suffers from the ultra rare condition known as Craniopagus parasiticus or parasitic twi...

Meet the world's most deformed person. The sight will shock you!

Rudy Santos, a 69 year old from the Philippines, suffers from the ultra rare condition known as Craniopagus parasiticus or parasitic twin. He is the oldest person with this condition. Attached to Rudy’s pelvis and abdomen are an extra pair of arms and a leg, which developed when his twin was absorbed into his body during pregnancy. Also connected to his body are an extra pair of nipples and an undeveloped head with an ear and hair.

12 amazing facts about the world's largest factory in the making. A must read!

One of the recent inventions of Musk is the Gigafactory which is one of its kind in the world. It is a factory but it is no less than an invention. It will shock you like anything when you will come to know about its enormous size. 

1. It will be 3 times the size of Central Park

The Gigafactory is located in Storey County, Nevada on 3,000 acres. Its original size was 1,000 acres but the company purchased an additional 1,864 acres of adjacent land. It will enable the company to expand the size of its factory by 50 or 100 times according to Musk.

2. The factory is huge and it may get even bigger.

Currently, the factory is 71 feet tall and it stretches to more than 5.5 million square feet or equivalent to 126 acres. It is of a size that is more than 95 football fields. According to Musk, it is so big that he gets blown away every time he visits the plant.

3. It is so big that it will be the world's second largest building.

                                                                 

Once this building is complete, it will be the world's second largest building by footprint. It will only be slightly smaller to the Boeing's Everett, Washington plant which is the world's largest building by volume

4. It is built to sustain earthquakes.

The factory is composed of four different structures which are built on four different foundations so that it can withstand earthquakes. According to sources, Tesla spent an estimated $16 million on the foundation alone.

5. The factory will make Tesla's next car much more affordable.

The factory will help to dramatically cut the cost of its batteries by using economies of scale, innovative manufacturing, reduction of waste and the simple method of locating most manufacturing process under one roof. By 2020 the factory will enable to reduce its battery prices by about 30%

6. Old trains will come inside the factory in their entirety and come out as batteries

Tesla hasn't revealed the ways in which it will use the "extreme economies of scale" but Musk recently said that "We will bring in trains that will come out as batteries." He didn't go into detail about the plan

7. Everything will be recycled

The factory will be decked out with a state-of-art recycling system and it will provide recycling capacity for old battery packs. Everything will be recycled!

8. It will be completely powered by renewable energy.

The company will create all the energy which it needs. Solar Panels will line the roof of the factory and some additional panels will be placed on the surrounding hilltops to capture more and more energy. The factory will also use geothermal and wind power to meet energy demands.

9. It will be the largest lithium-ion battery factory in the world.

Tesla is the biggest consumer of lithium ion on the planet by surpassing device manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. Now it will also become the biggest producer of lithium-ion batteries. Tesla aims to build 500,000 cars per year by the end of this decade. Musk thinks that the number could reach into millions.

To power all those cars the factory will produce more battery cells at its plant by 2020 than all of the lithium-ion battery makers combined production  of the year 2013.

10. It will cost Tesla and its partners billions!

Tesla along with its partners will collectively invest a total of $5 billion into the factory by 2020. Tesla will directly invest about $2 billion in the Gigafactory.

11. It will employ more than 6,000 employees at the facility.

The factory will have around 6,500 employees by the time it will be finished in 2020. It has already started hiring people for some positions at the facility including people who work in the human resources as well as some engineering technicians.

12. The factory will be shaped like a diamond and it will be pleasing to watch it.

Just like Tesla's vehicles a lot of attention is given to the design of the factory. Musk said,"We are taking care to make sure that it looks good, that it fits in with the surroundings. It's a factory, but we care about the aesthetics. It will be shaped like a diamond because of the practical reasons as well.

History of Nigeria (I)

Early (500 BC – 1500)

Nigerian map and flag

The Nok civilisation of Northern Nigeria flourished between 500 BC and AD 200, producing life-sized terracotta figures which are some of the earliest known sculptures in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further north, the cities Kano and Katsina have a recorded history dating to around 999 AD. Hausa kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa.

The Kingdom of Nri of the Igbo people consolidated in the 10th century and continued until it lost its sovereignty to the British in 1911. Nri was ruled by the Eze Nri, and the city of Nri is considered to be the foundation of Igbo culture. Nri and Aguleri, where the Igbo creation myth originates, are in the territory of the Umeuri clan. Members of the clan trace their lineages back to the patriarchal king-figure Eri. In West Africa, the oldest bronzes made using the lost-wax process were from Igbo Ukwu, a city under Nri influence.

The Yoruba kingdoms of Ife and Oyo in southwestern Nigeria became prominent in the 12th and 14th centuries, respectively. The oldest signs of human settlement at Ife's current site date back to the 9th century, and its material culture includes terracotta and bronze figures.

Middle Ages (1500–1800)

Royal Bini mask, one of Nigeria's most recognised artefacts. Kingdom of Benin, 16th century.

Oyo, at its territorial zenith in the late 17th to early 18th centuries, extended its influence from western Nigeria to modern-day Togo. The Edo Kingdom of Benin is located in southwestern Nigeria. Benin's power lasted between the 15th and 19th centuries. Their dominance reached as far as the city of Eko (an Edo name later changed to Lagos by the Portuguese) and further.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Usman dan Fodio directed a successful jihad and created and led the centralised Fulani Empire (also known as the Sokoto Caliphate). The territory controlled by the resultant state included much of modern-day northern and central Nigeria; it lasted until the 1903 break-up of the Empire into various European colonies.

Benin City in the 17th century with the Oba of Benin in procession. This image appeared in a European book, Description of Africa, published in Amsterdam in 1668. 

Benin City in the 17th century with the Oba of Benin in procession. This image appeared in a European book, Description of Africa, published in Amsterdam in 1668

For centuries, various peoples in modern-day Nigeria traded overland with traders from North Africa. Cities in the area became regional centres in a broad network of trade routes that spanned western, central and northern Africa. In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to begin significant, direct trade with peoples of modern-day Nigeria, at the port they named Lagos and in Calabar. Europeans traded goods with peoples at the coast; coastal trade with Europeans also marked the beginnings of the Atlantic slave trade. The port of Calabar on the historical Bight of Biafra (now commonly referred to as the Bight of Bonny) become one of the largest slave trading posts in West Africa in the era of the transatlantic slave trade. Other major slaving ports in Nigeria were located in Badagry, Lagos on the Bight of Benin and on Bonny Island on the Bight of Biafra. The majority of those enslaved and taken to these ports were captured in raids and wars. Usually the captives were taken back to the conquerors' territory as forced labour; after time, they were sometimes acculturated and absorbed into the conquerors' society. A number of slave routes were established throughout Nigeria linking the hinterland areas with the major coastal ports. Some of the more prolific slave traders were linked with the Oyo Empire in the southwest, the Aro Confederacy in the southeast and the Sokoto Caliphate in the north

Slavery also existed in the territories comprising modern-day Nigeria; its scope was broadest towards the end of the 19th century. According to the Encyclopedia of African History, "It is estimated that by the 1890s the largest slave population of the world, about 2 million people, was concentrated in the territories of the Sokoto Caliphate. The use of slave labor was extensive, especially in agriculture."

A changing legal imperative (transatlantic slave trade outlawed by Britain in 1807) and economic imperative (a desire for political and social stability) led most European powers to support widespread cultivation of agricultural products, such as the palm, for use in European industry.

 British Nigeria (1800–1960)

                                                 "Up-River Chiefs, Calabar", 19th century

The slave trade was engaged in by European state and non-state actors such as Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal and private companies, as well as various African states and non-state actors. With rising anti-slavery sentiment at home and changing economic realities, Great Britain outlawed the international slave trade in 1807. Following the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain established the West Africa Squadron in an attempt to halt the international traffic in slaves. It stopped ships of other nations that were leaving the African coast with slaves; the seized slaves were taken to Freetown, a colony in West Africa originally established for the resettlement of freed slaves from Britain. Britain intervened in the Lagos Kingship power struggle by bombarding Lagos in 1851, deposing the slave trade friendly Oba Kosoko, helping to install the amenable Oba Akitoye, and signing the Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos on 1 January 1852. Britain annexed Lagos as a Crown Colony in August 1861 with the Lagos Treaty of Cession. British missionaries expanded their operations and travelled further inland. In 1864, Samuel Ajayi Crowther became the first African bishop of the Anglican Church.

In 1885, British claims to a West African sphere of influence received recognition from other European nations at the Berlin Conference. The following year, it chartered the Royal Niger Company under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie. In 1900 the company's territory came under the control of the British government, which moved to consolidate its hold over the area of modern Nigeria. On 1 January 1901, Nigeria became a British protectorate, and part of the British Empire, the foremost world power at the time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the independent kingdoms of what would become Nigeria fought a number of conflicts against the British Empire's efforts to expand its territory. By war, the British conquered Benin in 1897, and, in the Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902), defeated other opponents. The restraint or conquest of these states opened up the Niger area to British rule.

                                   Postage stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

 

In 1914, the British formally united the Niger area as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Administratively, Nigeria remained divided into the Northern and Southern Protectorates and Lagos Colony. Inhabitants of the southern region sustained more interaction, economic and cultural, with the British and other Europeans owing to the coastal economy.

Christian missions established Western educational institutions in the Protectorates. Under Britain's policy of indirect rule and validation of Islamic tradition, the Crown did not encourage the operation of Christian missions in the northern, Islamic part of the country. Some children of the southern elite went to Great Britain to pursue higher education. By independence in 1960, regional differences in modern educational access were marked. The legacy, though less pronounced, continues to the present-day. Imbalances between North and South were expressed in Nigeria's political life as well. For instance, northern Nigeria did not outlaw slavery until 1936 whilst in other parts of Nigeria slavery was abolished soon after colonialism.

Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, successive constitutions legislated by the British government moved Nigeria toward self-government on a representative and increasingly federal basis. By the middle of the 20th century, a great wave for independence was sweeping across Africa. Nigeria achieved independence in 1960.

Independent Federation and First Republic (1960–1966)

Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom as a Commonwealth Realm on 1 October 1960. Nigeria's government was a coalition of conservative parties: the Nigerian People's Congress (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the Islamic faith, and the Igbo and Christian-dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe. Azikiwe became Nigeria's maiden Governor-General in 1960. The opposition comprised the comparatively liberal Action Group (AG), which was largely dominated by the Yoruba and led by Obafemi Awolowo. The cultural and political differences between Nigeria's dominant ethnic groups – the Hausa ('Northerners'), Igbo ('Easterners') and Yoruba ('Westerners') – were sharp.

An imbalance was created in the polity by the result of the 1961 plebiscite. Southern Cameroon opted to join the Republic of Cameroon while Northern Cameroons chose to remain in Nigeria. The northern part of the country was now far larger than the southern part. In 1963, the nation established a Federal Republic, with Azikiwe as its first president. When elections were held in 1965, the Nigerian National Democratic Party came to power in Nigeria's Western Region.

Civil war (1967–1970)

The disquilibrium and perceived corruption of the electoral and political process led, in 1966, to back-to-back military coups. The first coup was in January 1966 and was led by Igbo soldiers under Majors Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. The coup plotters succeeded in murdering Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Premier Ahmadu Bello of the Northern Region and Premier Ladoke Akintola of the Western Region. But, the coup plotters struggled to form a central government. President Nwafor Orizu handed over government control to the Army, then under the command of another Igbo officer, General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi.

Later, the counter-coup of 1966, supported primarily by Northern military officers, facilitated the rise of Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon to head of state. Tension rose between North and South; Igbos in Northern cities suffered persecution and many fled to the Eastern Region.

In May 1967, the Eastern Region declared independence as a state called the Republic of Biafra, under the leadership of Lt. ColonelEmeka Ojukwu. The Nigerian Civil War began as the official Nigerian government side (predominated by soldiers from the North and West) attacked Biafra (Southeastern) on 6 July 1967 at Garkem. The 30 month war, with a long siege of Biafra and its isolation from trade and supplies, ended in January 1970. Estimates of the number of dead in the former Eastern Region are between 1 and 3 million people, from warfare, disease, and starvation, during the 30-month civil war.

France, Egypt, the Soviet Union, Britain, Israel, and others were deeply involved in the civil war behind the scenes. Britain and the Soviet Union were the main military backers of the Nigerian government while France and others aided the Biafrans. Nigeria used Egyptian pilots for their air force.

Military juntas (1970–1999)

                       Olusegun Obasanjo was a military president who ruled the country from 1976 to 1979.

During the oil boom of the 1970s, Nigeria joined OPEC and the huge revenue generated made the economy richer. Despite huge revenues from oil production and sale, the military administration did little to improve the standard of living of the population, help small and medium businesses, or invest in infrastructure. As oil revenues fuelled the rise of federal subventions to states, the federal government became the centre of political struggle and the threshold of power in the country. As oil production and revenue rose, the Nigerian government became increasingly dependent on oil revenues and the international commodity markets for budgetary and economic concerns. It did not develop other sources of the economy for economic stability. That spelled doom to federalism in Nigeria.

Beginning in 1979, Nigerians participated in a brief return to democracy when Olusegun Obasanjo transferred power to the civilian regime ofShehu Shagari. The Shagari government became viewed as corrupt and incompetent by virtually all sectors of Nigerian society. The military coup of Muhammadu Buhari shortly after the regime's fraudulent re-election in 1984 was generally viewed as a positive development. Buhari promised major reforms, but his government fared little better than its predecessor. His regime was overthrown by another military coup in 1985.

The new head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, declared himself president and commander in chief of the armed forces and the ruling Supreme Military Council. He set 1990 as the official deadline for a return to democratic governance. Babangida's tenure was marked by a flurry of political activity: he instituted the International Monetary Fund's Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) to aid in the repayment of the country's crushing international debt, which most federal revenue was dedicated to servicing. He enrolled Nigeria in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which aggravated religious tensions in the country.

After Babangida survived an abortive coup, he pushed back the promised return to democracy to 1992. Free and fair elections were finally held on 12 June 1993, with a presidential victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Babangida annulled the elections, leading to mass civilian violent protests which effectively shut down the country for weeks. Babangida finally kept his promise to relinquish office to a civilian-run government, but not before appointing Ernest Shonekan as head of the interim government.Babangida's regime has been considered the most corrupt, and responsible for creating a culture of corruption in Nigeria.

Shonekan's caretaker regime was overwhelmed in late 1993 by the military coup of General Sani Abacha. Abacha used violence on a wide scale to suppress the continuing civilian unrest. He shifted money to offshore accounts in various western European banks and voided coup plots by bribing army generals. Several hundred million dollars in accounts traced to him were discovered in 1999. The regime came to an end in 1998 when the dictator was found dead amid questionable circumstances.

His successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, adopted a new constitution on 5 May 1999, which provided for multiparty elections. On 29 May 1999 Abubakar transferred power to the winner of the elections, Obasanjo, who had since retired from the military.

Democratisation (1999–)

                                                          Bida Emirate durbar festival, 2001

Nigeria regained democracy in 1999 when it elected Olusegun Obasanjo, the former military head of state, as the new President of Nigeria. This ended almost 33 years of military rule (from 1966 until 1999), excluding the short-lived second republic (between 1979 and 1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups d'état and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966–1979 and 1983–1998. Although the elections which brought Obasanjo to power in 1999 and again in 2003 were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria has shown marked improvements in attempts to tackle government corruption and to hasten development.

Ethnic violence for control over the oil-producing Niger Delta region and inadequate infrastructures are some of the issues in the country.Umaru Yar'Adua of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) came into power in the general election of 2007. The international community has been observing Nigerian elections to encourage a free and fair process, and condemned this one as being severely flawed.^[70]

Yar'Adua died on 5 May 2010. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as Yar'Adua's replacement on 6 May 2010,^[71] becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State, while his vice-president, Namadi Sambo, an architect and former Kaduna State governor, was chosen on 18 May 2010, by the National Assembly. His confirmation followed President Jonathan's nomination of Sambo to that position.^[72][73]

Goodluck Jonathan served as Nigeria's president till 16 April 2011, when a new presidential election in Nigeria was conducted. Jonathan of the PDP was declared the winner on 19 April 2011, having won the election with a total of 22,495,187 of the 39,469,484 votes cast, to stand ahead of Muhammadu Buhari from the main opposition party, theCongress for Progressive Change (CPC), which won 12,214,853 of the total votes cast.^[74] The international media reported the elections as having run smoothly with relatively little violence or voter fraud, in contrast to previous elections.^[7]

In the March 2015 election, Muhammadu Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan by roughly 2 million votes. Observers generally praised the election as being fair. Jonathan was generally praised for conceding defeat and limiting the risk of unrest.