'Curse of oil' sees corruption soar in Nigeria

[muriel_volestrangler]

A leading candidate in Nigeria's upcoming presidential elections has attacked the country's foreign-dominated oil industry for fuelling corruption in the country.

"Corruption has been worse with oil because oil has brought more money," said the former Nigerian military strongman General Muhammadu Buhari, who is running a presidential campaign based on an anti-corruption platform.
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The landmark elections in April are expected to consolidate a fragile democracy in sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil exporter after the Senate defeated an attempt last year by the current President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to extend his term in office.
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With Mr Obasanjo due to retire to his chicken farm in May, the election will represent the first full democratic transition of presidential power in the country's history - and boost hopes for meaningful development. General Buhari said: "We are looking forward to free and fair elections - if things get worse than they are, the population won't stand it."

Africa's most populous state pumps some 2.4 million barrels a day of crude and is already a key supplier of oil to the United States, which imports 17 per cent of its petroleum from west Africa - due to rise to 25 per cent by 2015. But despite the potential of oil to change the lives of ordinary people, most Nigerians continue to subsist on less than US$1 (51p) a day.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2201108.ece