Introduction

Since the early 1990s, the Niger Delta—Nigeria's major oil-producing region—has been roiled by an 'unfinished revolution'. At home in Nigeria, the Ogoni uprising, particularly its two key documents: the Ogoni Bill of Rights and the Addendum to the Ogoni Bill of Rights, sparked a renewed debate on self-determination of ethnic minorities and the resolution of the national question in Nigeria. The local and global terrains of the Niger Delta struggle had been somewhat altered within a few years after Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999. The level of threat posed by militant groups compelled the Obasanjo administration to assuage the feelings of disenchantment in the Niger Delta by ensuring the nomination of Goodluck Jonathan as running mate to presidential candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua. Several Niger Delta militants became government contractors and security consultants under the Jonathan administration. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.