Nigeria And Angol African Countries Plagued By The...

Nigeria and Angola are both West African countries plagued by the resource curse. The countries are teeming with oil, ranking Nigeria as Africa’s largest oil producer and Angola as the second largest oil producer. In 2014, it was reported that Nigeria was responsible for producing 2.4 million barrels of oil per day and Angola produced 1.8 million barrels of oil per day. While these numbers have fluctuated greatly in the past, both countries still remain at the top as Africa’s oil producers (Carpenter; Ajayi). The production of oil in Nigeria and Angola has brought in a great deal of profit to both countries, however, it has also come along with a number of complications. As Ajayi writes, â€Å"fuel abundance in less developed countries tends to†¦show more content†¦Neither country has strong state institutions so political progress and economic development become difficult. A lack of state institutions lowers the standard of living and impedes civil rights. Co rruption is also a â€Å"symptom of missing institutions† (McMillan 156). Corruption is a major obstacle in Nigeria and Angola which is influenced by oil money. In both cases there is a â€Å"bloc of corrupt powerful elites †¦ while a large percentage of the population [continues] to live below poverty lines† (Ajayi 1). The money that is generated from oil falls into the hands of elites which directly impacts the country s ability to democratize. In Nigeria, â€Å"oil revenues have been the primary lubricant in making democracy ‘work’† (O’Neil, Fields, and Share 760). Politicians have rigged elections by promising money and positions of power to citizens to guarantee votes. This is problematic because Nigerians are not having their voices heard. They are being bribed with money and power to vote for a politician, which is enticing in a country where the citizens live below the poverty line. This not only hinders democracy, but is a breed ing ground for violence (O’Neil, Fields, and Share). In Angola, the government aims to keep corruption and other abuses of power a secret from Angolans. The state owns most newspapers and the only television station, so they tend to show government propaganda in favor of the state only. Any journalists Nigeria And Angol African Countries Plagued By The... Nigeria and Angola are both West African countries plagued by the resource curse. The countries are teeming with oil, ranking Nigeria as Africa’s largest oil producer and Angola as the second largest oil producer. In 2014 it was reported that Nigeria was responsible for producing 2.4 million barrels of oil per day and Angola produced 1.8 million barrels of oil per day. While these numbers have fluctuated greatly in the past, both countries still remain at the top as Africa’s oil producers. The production of oil in Nigeria and Angola has brought in a great deal of profit to both countries, however, it has also come along with a number of complications. â€Å"Fuel abundance in less developed countries tends to generate negative developmental†¦show more content†¦Neither country has strong state institutions so political progress and economic development become difficult. A lack of state institutions lowers the standard of living and impedes civil rights. Corrupt ion is also a â€Å"symptom of missing institutions† (McMillan 156). Corruption is a major obstacle in Nigeria and Angola which is influenced by oil money. In both cases there is a â€Å"bloc of corrupt powerful elites †¦ while a large percentage of the population [continues] to live below poverty lines† (Ajayi 1). The money that is generated from oil falls into the hands of elites which directly impacts the country s ability to democratize. In Nigeria, â€Å"oil revenues have been the primary lubricant in making democracy ‘work’† (O’Neil, Fields, and Share 760). Politicians have rigged elections by promising money and positions of power to citizens to guarantee votes. This is problematic because Nigerians are not having their voices heard. They are being bribed with money and power to vote for a politician, which is enticing in a country where the citizens live below the poverty line. This not only hinders democracy, but is a breeding g round for violence. In Angola, the government aims to keep corruption and other abuses of power a secret from Angolans. The state owns most newspapers and the only television station, so they tend to show government propaganda only in favor of the state. Any journalists who have spoken against the government have been beaten by police,