"His nineteenth century cousin was paddled ashore by slaves, and twisted the arms of tribal chiefs to sign away their territorial rights in the oil rich Niger Delta. Sixty years later, his grandfather helped craft Nigeria's constitution and negotiate its independence, the first of its kind in Africa. Four decades later, journalist Peter Cunliffe-Jones arrived as a journalist in the capital, Lagos, just as military rule ended, to face the country his family had a hand in shaping. Part family memoir, part history, My Nigeria is a piercing look at the colonial legacy in an emerging power in Africa. Marshalling his deep knowledge of the economic, political, and historic forces, Cunliffe-Jones surveys the country's colonial past and explains why British rule led to collapse at independence. He also takes an unflinching look at the complicated country today: from email hoaxes and political corruption to the vast natural resources that make it one of the most powerful African nations; from life in Lagos's virtually unknown and exclusive neighborhoods to the violent conflicts between the numerous tribes that make up this populous African nation. As Nigeria celebrates its five decades of independence, this is a timely and personal look at a captivating country that is still due to achieve its great potential"--
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"Peter Cunliffe-Jones, a veteran journalist, follows in the footsteps of his forefathers---a colonizer and an administrator---and serves up a must read for anybody looking to understand Africa's most dynamic country. In this empathetic, keenly observed, multigenerational memoir, Cunliffe-Jones expertly lays out the challenges facing Nigeria as it approaches 50 years of independence and finds itself once again on the brink."---Stephan Faris, author of Forecast
"Nigeria is a big subject, but Cunliffe-Jones cuts it down to size. Enriched by his own experience and his family's own role in the country's past, this vivid book is more than a history. It is like stumbling upon a time capsule."---Robert Calderisi, author of The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working
"A very readable history of Nigeria, a personal memoir, and a family history all in one book. Peter Cunliffe-Jones has produced a warm and enlightening introduction to this huge, dynamic, and fascinating country and its damaged past. Intriguing and sometimes shocking, it explains why Nigeria today is the frustrated giant of Africa."---Richard Dowden, author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles
Home to an estimated one in five Africans, Nigeria is the troubled giant of its continent: vast, rich in contrasts, vibrant, but---for too long---hurting. Five decades after independence, and after many years of brutal military rule and extreme instability, the country's fledgling democracy continues to face political unrest. As elections approach, its future is far from certain.
Peter Cunliffe-Jones arrived in Nigeria as a journalist in 1998 to confront the legacy of his family's involvement in the colonization of Africa. His nineteenth-century cousin, paddled ashore by slaves, twisted the arms of Congolese chiefs to sign away their territorial rights. Sixty years later, his grandfather helped craft Nigeria's constitution and negotiate its independence from colonial rule. Four decades after this historic moment, Cunliffe-Jones himself arrived in Lagos as bureau chief for the AFP news agency, to face the country his family had a hand in shaping.
Part family memoir, part history, My Nigeria is a piercing look at the colonial legacy in an emerging power. Marshalling his deep knowledge of the nation's economic, political, and historic forces, Cunliffe-Jones explains why British rule led to years of harsh dictatorships. He also takes an unflinching look at the complicated country Nigeria has become today, from email hoaxes and political corruption to the violent conflicts between the numerous peoples within its borders, and he shows how, rising from their troubles, the people of Nigeria are taking charge of themselves and demanding change.
As Nigeria celebrates five decades of independence, this is a timely and personal look at a captivating country that is leading the rest of the African continent into the twenty-first century.
His nineteenth-century cousin, paddled ashore by slaves, twisted the arms of tribal chiefs to sign away their territorial rights in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Sixty years later, his grandfather helped craft Nigeria’s constitution and negotiate its independence, the first of its kind in Africa. Four decades later, Peter Cunliffe-Jones arrived as a journalist in the capital, Lagos, just as military rule ended, to face the country his family had a hand in shaping.
Part family memoir, part history, My Nigeria is a piercing look at the colonial legacy of an emerging power in Africa. Marshalling his deep knowledge of the nation's economic, political, and historic forces, Cunliffe-Jones surveys its colonial past and explains why British rule led to collapse at independence. He also takes an unflinching look at the complicated country today, from email hoaxes and political corruption to the vast natural resources that make it one of the most powerful African nations; from life in Lagos’s virtually unknown and exclusive neighborhoods to the violent conflicts between the numerous tribes that make up this populous African nation. As Nigeria celebrates five decades of independence, this is a timely and personal look at a captivating country that has yet to achieve its great potential.
