🌍 A Country of Sharp Contrasts

In Lagos, a city of 15 million people, gleaming glass towers rise above the financial district while a few kilometres away, residents of Makoko — a floating slum built on stilts above a lagoon — paddle canoes to work and lack running water. Nigeria is Africa's largest economy, home to Nollywood (the world's second biggest film industry), and a country that pumps over 2 million barrels of oil a day. Yet 62% of its people live on less than $1.90 a day. Welcome to the world's most dramatic development story: a country that is simultaneously one of the fastest-growing economies on earth and one of the most unequal.

This is exactly why Nigeria is a GCSE Geography case study for a "Newly Emerging Economy" (NEE). It shows everything in one place: the power of oil, the role of TNCs, the growth of manufacturing and services, and the deep challenges of inequality and environmental damage.

Your exam board lets your school choose the country for this case study. Nigeria is one valid choice and is the one we use here. If your school teaches a different country, such as Ethiopia or India, use the same headings (causes, effects, responses) to organise your own case study notes.

Nigeria in three parts. On the left an oil site with a gas flare, in the middle the Lagos skyline and container port, and on the right a rural village with a school and a hand pump.

Figure 1: Nigeria, a newly emerging economy: oil, the big port city of Lagos and rural villages.

Nigeria's HDI was 0.560 in 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025).

🌍 Nigeria's Development Story: From Colony to NEE

Nigeria did not simply "become" an emerging economy by accident. Its trajectory from British colony to Africa's largest economy is a story shaped by independence, oil, inequality and rapid urban growth.

Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, inheriting a colonial economy built around exporting raw materials — groundnuts, rubber, palm oil — to Britain. For its first decade as an independent nation, agriculture dominated. Then, in a moment that changed everything, commercial oil production began at scale in the Niger Delta, following the original discovery of oil in 1956. By the 1970s, Nigeria was a member of OPEC (the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and oil revenues were transforming government finances.

Today, Nigeria sits firmly in the NEE (Newly Emerging Economy) category — not a Low-Income Country (LIC), but not yet a High-Income Country (HIC). The distinction matters. Nigeria is classified as a NEE because it has experienced rapid industrialisation, growing exports, an expanding middle class, and increasing integration into the global economy — yet still has very high levels of poverty, incomplete infrastructure, and significant inequality.

1960: Independence from Britain — Colonial economy based on agricultural raw material exports. GDP low, infrastructure limited to what Britain needed to extract resources.

1956–1970s: Oil discovery and production — Shell discovered oil in the Niger Delta in 1956. By the 1970s, oil revenues dominated government income. Nigeria joined OPEC and the "oil boom" began.

1980s–1990s: Volatility and economic crisis — Oil price collapse caused severe economic hardship. Government debt rose. Infrastructure investment stalled. Inequality widened sharply.

2000s–present: Diversification and NEE status — Manufacturing, services, Nollywood, telecoms and financial services grew alongside oil. Lagos emerged as a global city. GDP rose to $440bn. But poverty remained persistent.

Today: Africa's largest economy: GDP ~$440 billion, population 220 million, HDI 0.560 (2023). A genuine NEE: growing fast, but with deep inequality unresolved.

What makes Nigeria's classification as an NEE (rather than an LIC) significant is what it reveals about the relationship between economic growth and human development. Nigeria has a larger total economy than most African nations. Yet its HDI of 0.560 (2023), which measures education, health and living standards, is low for the size of its economy. Economic growth has happened. Development for the majority has not kept pace.

Quick Check: Why is Nigeria classified as an NEE rather than an LIC or HIC? Use evidence in your answer.

⚙️ Why Nigeria Has Developed: The Causes of Economic Growth

Nigeria's development has not come from a single source. Oil is the most famous driver, but manufacturing, services, TNCs and government policy have all played important roles. Understanding each of these — and how they connect — is what gets you top marks in the exam.

1. Oil and Natural Resources

Nigeria holds approximately 37 billion barrels of proven oil reserves — among the top 10 in the world. Oil accounts for around 90% of Nigeria's export earnings and roughly 70% of government revenue. This has funded roads, the new capital Abuja, schools, hospitals and the military. Nigeria joined OPEC, giving it a seat at the table in global oil price negotiations.

Foreign oil companies — led by Shell, alongside Chevron, Total and ExxonMobil — invested billions in exploration, extraction and pipeline infrastructure. This brought foreign direct investment (FDI) that the Nigerian government could not have generated alone. Shell alone has been operating in Nigeria since 1937 and at peak production extracted more than 1 million barrels per day from the Niger Delta.

2. Transnational Corporations (TNCs)

TNCs have been central to Nigeria's development — and to its problems. Shell is the most significant example. Its presence has brought:

Tax revenue: Shell pays billions of dollars in taxes and royalties to the Nigerian government annually, funding public services
Employment: Shell employs around 65,000 people in Nigeria directly and indirectly through supply chains
Technology transfer: Engineering expertise and drilling technology that Nigerian workers have learned and, in some cases, applied independently
Infrastructure: Shell-built roads, pipelines, and port facilities that serve wider economic needs beyond the oil sector

However, the TNC relationship is not simply one of benefit. Shell and other oil companies repatriate profits back to their home countries (UK, Netherlands, USA), meaning a large share of the wealth extracted from Nigeria does not stay in Nigeria. The environmental record of oil companies in the Niger Delta has been devastating (see Environmental Costs below).

3. Manufacturing Growth

Lagos has developed into a significant manufacturing hub. The Apapa Industrial Zone in Lagos processes cement, textiles, food and beverages, and chemicals. Nigerian companies like Dangote Group — founded by Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest individual — built the world's largest single-train cement plant near Lagos and a vast oil refinery. Manufacturing now contributes approximately 10% of Nigeria's GDP and has created hundreds of thousands of formal jobs, particularly for young urban workers.

4. Service Sector and the Knowledge Economy

The service sector is now Nigeria's fastest-growing economic segment. Three industries stand out:

Nollywood: Nigeria's film industry produces over 2,500 films per year, more than Hollywood and second only to India's Bollywood by volume. It generates over $600 million annually and employs around 1 million people, making it one of Nigeria's largest non-oil employers
Financial services: Lagos hosts the Nigerian Stock Exchange, dozens of international banks, and a growing fintech sector. The city contributes approximately 25% of Nigeria's total GDP despite containing less than 10% of the population
Telecoms and IT: Mobile phone penetration has risen dramatically — from near zero in 2000 to over 100 million active users by 2020. Companies like MTN Nigeria (South African TNC) and Airtel have invested billions, improving connectivity and enabling mobile banking (M-Pesa-style services) that bring financial access to rural populations

5. Government Policies and Regional Trade

The Nigerian government has attempted to diversify the economy away from oil dependency through programmes like the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Nigeria is also a founding member of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), a regional trade bloc that reduces trade barriers with 15 neighbouring countries, expanding Nigeria's export markets for manufactured goods and agricultural products. The relocation of the capital to the purpose-built city of Abuja in 1991 symbolised Nigeria's ambition to modernise its political and administrative infrastructure.

📋 Key Evidence and Statistics

Evidence	Detail and Significance
GDP	~$440 billion — Africa's largest economy by total output, larger than South Africa
Population	~220 million — Africa's most populous country; projected top 3 globally by 2050
HDI	0.560 (2023): low for such a large GDP, showing that growth is not the same as development
Poverty rate	62% below $1.90/day international poverty line — majority do not benefit from oil wealth
Oil reserves	37 billion barrels proven — among the world's top 10; OPEC member since 1971
Oil dependence	~90% of export earnings, ~70% of government revenue — extreme vulnerability to price changes
Shell employment	~65,000 direct and indirect employees in Nigeria — largest private employer
Nollywood	$600m+ annual revenue; 2,500+ films/year; ~1 million jobs — world's 2nd largest film industry by volume
Lagos GDP share	~25% of Nigeria's total GDP — extreme urban economic concentration
Lagos population	15+ million in the city proper; largest city in Africa by some measures
Niger Delta oil spills	1,000+ spills recorded since 2010 — equivalent to an Exxon Valdez every year
Mobile phone users	100+ million active users — transformed banking access for rural populations
Abuja	Planned capital since 1991 — government, embassies, growing middle-class suburb; symbolises modernisation intent
ECOWAS membership	Founding member of 15-nation West African trade bloc — reduces trade barriers regionally

Quick Check: Explain why TNCs like Shell have both helped and limited Nigeria's development. Use specific evidence.

🏙️ Quality of Life: Opportunities and Challenges

Economic growth has created genuine improvements in quality of life for many Nigerians — but deeply uneven ones. Understanding where growth has improved lives, and where it has not, is essential for any 6-8 mark answer about Nigeria.

Improvements in Quality of Life

A growing middle class of approximately 30 million people — concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt — has benefited enormously from economic growth. This group has access to private healthcare, private schools, air travel and consumer goods. For this segment of the population, Nigeria feels genuinely transformed from its 1960s starting point.

Mobile phone and internet access has expanded dramatically. With over 100 million active mobile subscribers, Nigerians in rural areas can now access banking services through mobile money platforms, receive remittances from relatives in cities, and access information that was previously only available in urban centres. This has helped reduce the urban-rural information gap even where infrastructure remains poor.

Life expectancy has risen from around 40 years at independence to approximately 55 years today. Child mortality has fallen. The proportion of children in primary school has increased significantly. These are real improvements — but they remain far below global averages.

Persistent Poverty and Inequality

Despite $440 billion in GDP, 62% of Nigerians live below the $1.90 per day international poverty line. This is one of the most striking statistics in GCSE Geography: Africa's largest economy, yet the majority of its citizens are in poverty. This is not a contradiction — it reflects extreme inequality.

The Gini coefficient for Nigeria (a measure of income inequality where 0 = perfect equality and 100 = maximum inequality) sits around 35–40, indicating significant inequality. The wealthiest 5% of Nigerians hold approximately 45% of the country's income. Oil wealth has been captured by political elites and foreign corporations, while rural communities — particularly in the north — have seen limited benefit.

The north-south divide is stark. Lagos and the oil-producing south have experienced much of the growth. The predominantly Muslim north, including states like Kano and Katsina, has higher poverty rates, lower literacy, higher infant mortality, and less infrastructure investment. This regional inequality creates social and political tension — including the insurgency of Boko Haram, which has displaced millions of people in north-eastern Nigeria.

Urban Challenges: Lagos and Makoko

Lagos has grown explosively — from around 1 million people in 1960 to over 15 million today. This growth has outpaced the city's ability to provide formal housing, sanitation and transport. An estimated 65% of Lagos residents live in informal settlements — the most famous being Makoko, a community of around 100,000 people built on stilts over a lagoon, with no running water, no sewers, and wooden walkways instead of streets. Makoko residents face the constant threat of demolition by city authorities who describe it as an illegal settlement.

Traffic congestion in Lagos is among the worst in the world. Air pollution from vehicles, generators (power cuts are frequent) and industrial activity creates serious public health problems. Despite these challenges, Lagos continues to attract rural migrants because even informal urban work pays more than rural farming.

🌿 Environmental and Social Costs: The Niger Delta Crisis

The most serious costs of Nigeria's development are environmental, and they are concentrated in the Niger Delta — the oil-producing region where Shell and other TNCs have operated for over 60 years. This is essential knowledge for any question about the costs of development or the impacts of TNCs.

Oil Spills and Water Contamination

More than 1,000 oil spills have been recorded in the Niger Delta since 2010 alone. Environmental groups estimate that the total volume of oil spilled since production began is equivalent to an Exxon Valdez disaster every year for 50 years. Oil coats the surface of rivers and creeks, preventing sunlight from reaching aquatic plants. Fish populations have collapsed. Drinking water sources are contaminated with hydrocarbons.

For the Ogoni people — one of many ethnic communities in the Niger Delta — this has been catastrophic. The Ogoni homeland had some of the most intensive oil extraction in the region. Shell abandoned its Ogoni operations in 1993 following protests, but left behind heavily contaminated soil and water. A 2011 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report found Ogoniland contamination so severe that cleanup would take 25–30 years and cost over $1 billion. Shell and the Nigerian government have disputed responsibility for funding this cleanup, leaving communities in contaminated land.

Fishing Livelihoods Destroyed

The Niger Delta has historically been one of the most ecologically rich and productive fishing areas in West Africa. Millions of people depended on fishing for food and income. Oil contamination has devastated fish stocks, mangrove forests (which serve as fish nurseries), and the broader ecosystem. Communities that fished the same waterways for generations have lost their livelihoods, pushed into unemployment or migration.

MEND and Militant Response

The combination of environmental destruction, poverty and the perception that oil wealth was flowing to foreign companies and Lagos-based elites — not to Delta communities — fuelled armed resistance. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) attacked oil pipelines and kidnapped oil company workers from the mid-2000s, reducing Nigerian oil production by around 20% at its peak. This shows how environmental and social costs of development can feed back into economic instability.

Deforestation and Urban Pollution

Beyond the Delta, Nigeria faces deforestation driven by agricultural expansion, fuelwood collection and urbanisation. Nigeria has one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa. In Lagos and other cities, air pollution from vehicle exhausts, diesel generators (used to cope with frequent power outages) and industrial activity is a growing public health problem, contributing to respiratory disease.

⚖️ Nigeria vs Other Developing Economies: Putting Nigeria in Context

Comparing Nigeria with India — another large NEE — and Ghana — a neighbouring lower-middle-income country — helps clarify where Nigeria sits in the global development picture and what its distinctive challenges are.

Indicator	Nigeria (NEE)	India (NEE)	Ghana (Lower-MIC)
GDP (total)	~$440 billion	~$3.7 trillion	~$77 billion
GDP per capita	~$2,100	~$2,600	~$2,400
HDI	0.560	0.685	0.628
% below $1.90/day	~62%	~22%	~25%
Urbanisation rate	~53%	~36%	~58%
Life expectancy	~55 years	~70 years	~64 years
Main economic driver	Oil (90% of exports)	Services and IT	Gold, cocoa, oil

What this tells us: Nigeria has the largest economy of the three in total, but its HDI and poverty rates are worse than both India and Ghana. This is the "paradox of plenty" — an oil-rich economy with widespread poverty. India's success in diversifying into services and IT, reducing poverty from 45% to 22% in 20 years, shows what Nigeria could achieve with greater diversification and investment in human capital.

📖 Key Terms You Must Know

NEE (Newly Emerging Economy): A country that has recently begun to experience higher rates of economic development and rapid industrialisation. NEEs typically have growing manufacturing and service sectors, increasing exports, rising incomes and an expanding middle class — but also significant inequality and uneven development. Nigeria, India, China and Brazil are all NEEs, though at different stages.
TNC (Transnational Corporation): A large company that operates in more than one country, with its headquarters typically in a high-income country and operations in lower-income countries. Shell (UK/Netherlands), Chevron (USA) and Total (France) are all TNCs operating in Nigeria. They bring investment, jobs and technology but also extract profits and can cause environmental damage.
FDI (Foreign Direct Investment): When a company or government in one country invests money directly into businesses or assets in another country. Shell's investment in Nigerian oil infrastructure is FDI. FDI can fund development but also creates dependency on foreign companies.
HDI (Human Development Index): A combined measure of a country's development that includes income (GNI per capita), health (life expectancy at birth) and education (years of schooling). Ranges from 0 (worst) to 1 (best). Nigeria scores 0.560 (2023), reflecting that income growth has not translated proportionately into better health and education.
GNI (Gross National Income) per capita: The total income earned by a country's residents (including from abroad) divided by the population. Different from GDP, which measures only production within a country's borders. GNI per capita is the income measure used in the HDI calculation.
Gini coefficient: A statistical measure of income inequality, ranging from 0 (perfect equality — everyone earns the same) to 100 (maximum inequality — one person earns everything). Nigeria's Gini of approximately 35–40 indicates significant inequality, reflecting the concentration of oil wealth among a small elite.
Informal economy: Economic activity that is not regulated, taxed or monitored by the government. Street traders, informal mechanics, domestic workers and small agricultural producers operating outside formal contracts are all part of the informal economy. In Nigeria, the informal economy employs around 65% of the workforce — mostly in cities like Lagos where many migrants work in the informal sector.
Remittances: Money sent by migrants working abroad back to their families in their home country. Nigeria is one of the top recipients of remittances in Africa — Nigerians living in the UK, USA and other countries send billions of dollars home annually, which supports families and supplements low local wages.
Profit repatriation: When a TNC takes the profits it has earned in a host country back to its home country, rather than reinvesting them locally. Shell and other oil TNCs in Nigeria repatriate large shares of their profits to their headquarters in Europe and the USA. This reduces the long-term development benefit that Nigeria receives from its own natural resources.

Quick Check: What is the difference between GDP and HDI, and why is this distinction important for Nigeria?

⚠️ Common Misconceptions

Misconception 1: "Nigeria is just an oil economy"

It is easy to assume Nigeria = oil, especially since oil provides 90% of export earnings. But this oversimplifies the picture. Manufacturing (cement, textiles, food processing), services (banking, telecoms), and Nollywood together now contribute more to employment than oil, which is capital-intensive and employs relatively few people directly. The Nigerian government has actively pursued diversification — the Dangote Group's cement and refinery investments, the Lagos financial district, and Nollywood's global reach all show an economy broader than oil alone. In a strong exam answer, acknowledge oil as central but demonstrate awareness of the wider economic picture.

Misconception 2: "Economic growth means everyone benefits"

Nigeria's GDP has grown rapidly since the 1990s. Yet 62% of Nigerians still live below $1.90 a day. Growth and development are not the same thing. Nigeria's growth has been concentrated in cities (especially Lagos), in the oil-producing south, and among educated elites. Rural communities — particularly in the north — have seen limited benefit. The informal economy, which employs the majority of Nigerians, is barely touched by formal GDP growth. A genuinely strong exam answer makes this distinction between growth and development explicit.

Misconception 3: "TNCs always help development"

The relationship between TNCs and development is complex, not simply positive. The benefits are real: Shell's tax revenues, the jobs created by Chevron and Total, the technology transfer to Nigerian engineers. But profit repatriation means billions leave Nigeria annually. The Niger Delta oil spills — over 1,000 since 2010 — have destroyed livelihoods and contaminated water for millions. Shell and the Nigerian government have argued for years about who should fund cleanup. Supply chains often remain controlled by the TNC rather than developing local Nigerian firms. The exam rewards students who can argue both sides and reach a supported judgement.

🧠 Memory Aid: The OILTS Framework

Use this acronym to remember Nigeria's five key development drivers:

O — Oil: 37 billion barrel reserves, OPEC member, 90% of exports, Shell/Chevron/Total investment
I — Industry: Lagos manufacturing zone, Dangote cement/refinery, textiles and food processing
L — Lagos: 15m+ people, 25% of Nigeria's GDP, Nollywood ($600m), financial district, Makoko inequality
T — TNCs: Shell (65,000 jobs, billions in tax) — but also profit repatriation and Niger Delta spills
S — Services: Nollywood, mobile telecoms (100m+ users), banking, IT, growing middle class (30m)

The "62% paradox" — lock in this number: 62% of Nigerians live below $1.90 a day despite Nigeria having Africa's largest GDP. This is your single most powerful statistic for any question about inequality, development limits or TNC impact. If you remember nothing else from this topic, remember 62%.

Key numbers to know cold:

$440 billion — Nigeria's GDP (Africa's largest)
220 million — population (Africa's largest)
0.560: HDI (2023)
62% — below $1.90/day poverty line
37 billion — barrels of proven oil reserves
1956 — oil discovered; 1960 — independence
1,000+ — oil spills in Niger Delta since 2010
$600m+ — Nollywood annual revenue
15 million+ — Lagos population

🎯 Exam Connection — GCSE Geography

Specification reference: Nigeria is a key Newly Emerging Economy (NEE) case study at GCSE, examined across all major boards — AQA (Paper 2, Section B: Changing Economic World), Edexcel 1GA0 (Paper 2, Component 4: Development Dynamics), and OCR (Paper 2: People and Society).

Frequency: Nigeria-based questions appear in virtually every GCSE Geography Paper 2 sitting across boards. This is a core case study — you must know it in depth.

Typical exam questions and what they require:

"Outline two reasons why Nigeria is classified as a Newly Emerging Economy." [2 marks] — One sentence per reason, with evidence. "Nigeria has experienced rapid industrialisation with growing manufacturing and service sectors" + "Nigeria has increasing trade links through OPEC membership and TNC investment."
"Explain why Nigeria has experienced economic development." [4 marks] — Two developed points with evidence and mechanism. Don't just say "oil is important" — explain HOW oil revenue funded infrastructure, attracted TNC investment, and enabled government spending on schools and roads.
"Assess the extent to which TNCs have benefited Nigeria's development." [6 marks] — Balanced argument. Paragraph 1: TNCs have benefited Nigeria through tax revenues, employment (Shell: 65,000 jobs), technology transfer. Paragraph 2: TNCs have limited benefits through profit repatriation, Niger Delta contamination (1,000+ spills), limited local supply chain development. Conclusion: On balance, a supported judgement — have benefits outweighed costs?
"Evaluate how far economic development has improved quality of life in Nigeria." [8 marks] — Extended response needing evidence on both sides + a clear, supported conclusion. Include rising middle class (30m), mobile phone access, improved life expectancy BUT 62% in poverty, Makoko informal settlements, north-south inequality, Niger Delta contamination. Conclusion must make a clear judgement with evidence.

What Level 3 looks like on a 6-mark assess question: Uses specific Nigeria evidence (not generic NEE), explains the mechanism (not just states a fact), addresses both sides, and reaches a supported conclusion. "Although Shell's tax revenue has funded infrastructure, profit repatriation means the majority of oil wealth leaves Nigeria — limiting the long-term development impact of TNC investment" — this is Level 3 reasoning.

Answer-ready structures:

4-marker: Point → Evidence → Explanation of mechanism. E.g., "Oil revenues have funded development (P) — oil provides 70% of government revenue (E) — which has been invested in roads, the capital Abuja and schools, improving infrastructure that attracts further investment (M)."
6-marker: Benefit paragraph (with evidence) → Cost paragraph (with evidence) → Judgement sentence. Use "However" and "Overall" as signpost words.
8-marker: At least three developed points (mix of positive and negative), specific data in each, final paragraph with a clear supported verdict.

💡 Exam Tips for Nigeria

🎯 Common Question Types for This Topic:

Outline/Describe (2 marks) — Short factual answers, two clear points. Always add evidence.
Explain (4 marks) — Two developed points showing mechanism, not just facts. Link oil/TNCs/manufacturing to outcomes (jobs, income, infrastructure).
Assess (6 marks) — Balanced argument with a conclusion. Use "However" to signal the counterpoint and "Overall" to signal your judgement.
Evaluate (8 marks) — Extended response, multiple points, specific data, clear concluded judgement. This is where your detailed knowledge of the Niger Delta, Nollywood and the 62% poverty figure earns the most marks.

📈 How to Move from Level 2 to Level 3:

Level 2 answer (limited): "TNCs like Shell have helped Nigeria by creating jobs and bringing investment." — This states facts without explaining HOW or engaging with costs.
Level 3 answer (developed): "TNCs like Shell have brought significant tax revenue to Nigeria — oil companies pay billions in royalties to the Nigerian government, funding infrastructure like roads and the new capital Abuja. However, the environmental costs in the Niger Delta are severe: over 1,000 oil spills since 2010 have contaminated water sources and destroyed fishing livelihoods for millions of people. Overall, TNCs have generated economic growth but the benefits are not reaching the 62% of Nigerians living below the poverty line, suggesting limits to the development impact." — This shows mechanism, uses evidence, addresses both sides, and makes a judgement.
The key difference: Level 2 lists. Level 3 explains WHY and WHAT EFFECT, uses specific Nigeria evidence, and makes a supported conclusion.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Treating Nigeria as only an oil story. Always mention Nollywood, manufacturing, services or Lagos to show awareness of economic diversification.
Not using specific data. Examiners want numbers and named places. "A lot of people are poor" scores nothing. "62% of Nigerians live below $1.90 a day despite $440bn GDP" is worth marks.
Forgetting to make a judgement in 6+ mark answers. "Overall, TNCs have brought more costs than benefits because environmental damage in the Niger Delta has destroyed livelihoods for millions, while profits flow overseas rather than improving Nigerian living standards" — this is a judgement. "There are both benefits and costs" is NOT a judgement.
Confusing GDP with HDI. GDP measures economic output. HDI measures human wellbeing. Nigeria's high GDP but low HDI for its size (0.560) is the central paradox: make sure you can explain why they differ.
Writing vague answers about "Africa" or "developing countries." Always write about Nigeria specifically. Use Lagos, Makoko, the Niger Delta, Shell, Nollywood, Abuja — specific Nigerian places, companies and people.

Quick Check: "Economic development in Nigeria has created more problems than it has solved." Do you agree? Give a developed answer using evidence.

Nigeria as an NEE Case Study