Nigerian Military Rule and Oil-Boom Politics

From the coups of 1966 until the return to elected civilian government in 1999, Nigeria spent most years under military rulers. The period included the civil war, centralisation of federal power, the creation of new states and repeated transitions promised, delayed or overturned by successive regimes.

Petroleum exports transformed government revenue and intensified competition for control of the state. Economic expansion and later crisis existed beside corruption, censorship, security repression, regional inequality and public resistance from journalists, unions, writers and civic organisations.

Anthills of the Savannah uses the fictional state of Kangan to explore this political world. Its military ruler, government newspaper, security apparatus and oil-boom setting evoke Nigerian experience without reproducing a single administration literally.