Roles For Sof In A Staggering Nigeria

Nigeria is an oil-rich but staggering democracy that has become increasingly important to U.S. strategic interests. The U.S. imports more than 10% of its oil from Nigeria, which holds critical reserves of oil and natural gas. Nigeria is a key partner... Read more

Nigeria is an oil-rich but staggering democracy that has become increasingly important to U.S. strategic interests. The U.S. imports more than 10% of its oil from Nigeria, which holds critical reserves of oil and natural gas. Nigeria is a key partner in the struggle with Islamic extremism in the Sahel region and shares common interest with the U.S. in achieving security in the Gulf of Guinea to secure foreign trade and investment opportunities in Africa. However, Nigeria's persistent internal trends had a negative impact on its development and could even set ablaze the whole area in the near future if not dealt with properly. ... this paper contends that U.S. Special Forces can help achieve the strategic goal of helping Nigeria become a stable regional power in Western Africa. It identifies the critical factors that characterize the environment in which SOF will have to operate in Nigeria, and explains why U.S. SOF is well suited for this job. It recommends four lines of operations that directly address Nigeria's critical issues. Less