"Ansaru's new salience represents another, serious challenge to Nigeria's stability," writes John Campbell.

France says it will withdraw from Mali once an African peacekeeping force is in place. To keep Islamists at bay, the United States is considering increasing its military presence in the region. A better approach is to focus on fixing the governance issues that fuel radicalism to begin with, says John Campbell.

The radical Islamist group Boko Haram has contributed to widespread and deadly violence in Nigeria, but the government sercurity services are also at fault, write CFR's John Campbell and Asch Harwood.

South Sudan's independence July 9 could encourage secession efforts elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, but elites in those countries will likely stymie those attempts at challenging colonial borders, at least for now.

John Campbell and Asch Harwood discuss the challenges facing Nigeria's newly elected president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Hostilities in Sudan might be relieved by a deal hammered out by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, but ethnic and religious divides, resource battles, and looming southern independence remain contentious issues, says CFR's John Campbell.

John Campbell says both Norway and Nigeria offer lessons for the Arab Spring countries on how to handle oil revenues.

John Campbell argues that the elections in Nigeria reveal the need for the United States and its allies to reach out to Nigeria's North.

The apparent victory of incumbent Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria's presidential elections brings charges of fraud and ballot stuffing, similar to past flawed polls, writes CFR's John Campbell. It also deepens concerns about heightened rifts between Christians and Muslims.

John Campbell and Asch Harwood ask, "Can the new government in Abuja overcome Nigeria's many challenges?"

Gbagbo's arrest in Ivory Coast vindicates the results of the Ivorian elections and sets a positive precedent for other African states, says CFR's John Campbell. However, Alassane Ouattara must deal with hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and determine how to govern a severely divided country.

John Campbell says clarifying the distinction between the north and the south in Nigeria is relevant to understanding the debates and conflicts around who will be Nigeria's next president.

John Campbell says that the nomination of Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria's presidential candidate places an even stronger premium on the credibility of the April 2011 elections.

These teaching notes, by author and CFR Senior Fellow John Campbell, feature discussion questions and additional projects for educators to supplement the use of the CFR book Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink in the classroom. In this book, Ambassador Campbell examines the country's postcolonial past and offers policy options for the United States to help promote political, social, and economic development in Nigeria.

John Campbell discusses the election standoff in Ivory Coast.

The Sudan referendum now underway will likely result in the south's independence, but unresolved disputes and population shifts require the Obama administration's continued intense diplomatic and humanitarian engagement, says CFR's John Campbell.

John Campbell reflects on the 2009 "underwear bomber" incident, and how it revealed the need for Americans to understand religion in Nigeria.

CFR's Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies highlights examples of Nigerian civil society organizations. These organizations, Campbell says, have a significant "name and shame" role to play in impelling the country towards democracy.

Nigeria's upcoming presidential elections will upset the country's power sharing system. CFR's Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies cautions that campaign appeals to ethnicity and religion coupled with elections that lack credibility may destabilize the country.

CFR's John Campbell says deteriorating economic and social conditions in Northern Nigeria are behind the recurring upsurge in Boko Haram's activity. Campbell cautions that the circumstances enabling Boko Haram to operate may be taken advantage of by Al Qaeda or other international terrorist groups, though that has not happened yet.

CFR's Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies John Campbell discusses the importance of Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to U.S. interests and highlights the need for a political solution.

John Campbell discusses Nigeria's upcoming presidential elections, and says credibility in the elections is imperative.

John Campbell says credible polls in Ivory Coast were a step in the right direction, but the runoff vote for the presidency will be the true test.