My Nigeria

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.