Introduction Nigeria is a federal republic and it should be known that the country has 36 states with the capital city in Abuja. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is located in West Africa where its neighbors are Niger, Benin, Cameroon and Chad. The country has three influential ethnic groups and this is the diversity and pride that every nation enjoys. These notable ethnic groups are the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. In this case, the country is roughly split between Christians and Muslims (Toyin, 1999, p. 13). In addition, there are other people who are still practicing traditional religion and this is acceptable in such a populous nation. The nation has an extensive history that can be dated back to 9000 BCE. This is as far as human habitation in the area and country is concerned. There has been an argument that the original homeland of Bantus is located in Nigeria. This is somewhere between the Cross river and Benue. It should be known that Nigeria as a nation derives its name from river Niger. In addition, it is the most populated African country besides being ranked position seven in the world as far as populous nations are concerned. Nigeria is mostly composed of blacks who form majority of the population (Suberu, 2001, p. 9). As much as the country is a member of the commonwealth nations, it has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and this is encouraging news. The international monetary fund has been ranking the country well as far as economic growth rates are concerned and this trend is expected to pick up as time goes by through good and effective policies. The country gained independence in 1960 and the first government was formed through a coalition of parties. The country has been faced with a lot of ethic and political differences largely because of its large ethic groupings. As a matter of fact, there was an imbalance because of various issues that were created by the plebiscite of 1961. All along, the country has been synonymously known for its troublesome military era that started with the oil boom that was witnessed in the 1970s when it officially joined OPEC (Ake, 1996, p. 23). The country is an oil producing nation and this has been the source of most oil conflicts. In early years, there was an argument that most billions of dollars were finding themselves in government hands at the expense of the population. There have been a lot of military cops in the country until 1998 when Olusegun Obasanjo was elected as president. As much as there is an attempt towards democracy, the strides have been slow but more should be done. The oil producing Niger Delta has witnessed a lot of ethic tensions and this is mostly because of this vital resource. The country has faced a lot of issues that revolve around inadequate infrastructure and other pressing needs. All along, the nation has been an important center for biodiversity and this will continue to be capitalized on for long term sustainability (Levy, 2004, p. 18). The Niger delta has experienced a lot of environmental problems that have in most occasions been neglected. This is as far as oil spills are concerned and it is assumed that such issues have warranted the conflict. Petroleum plays an important role in the country’s economy although there are other sectors that have also played a crucial role. And in the recent p