Perhaps most worrisome, Nigeria combines several aspects that are familiar from countries in the Middle East: an abundance of oil, a young population, economic stagnation, a corrupt elite, a legacy of colonialism, a vision of itself as a superpower that is in decline, and a rise in Islamic radicalism.
Yes. Of course, many of Nigeria’s characteristics — including a prior tradition of much mellower Islam, which has not vanished — mean that it could be a very valuable ally. Which is another reason why it matters.