Somalia and Nigeria, both sovereign countries in Africa, present distinct historical, political, and economic landscapes. This comparison delves into their past, present, and potential future, highlighting key differences and similarities.
Historical Context
Somalia's journey to nationhood involved the unification of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland in 1960. However, in 1969, a coup led by Mohamed SIAD Barre established an authoritarian socialist regime marked by political repression. After the regime's collapse in 1991, Somalia descended into turmoil, factional fighting, and anarchy.
In May 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland, which, despite lacking international recognition, has maintained a stable existence and continues to strive for constitutional democracy. The regions of Bari, Nugaal, and northern Mudug comprise a neighboring semi-autonomous state of Puntland, which has been self-governing since 1998 but does not aim at independence.
Beginning in 1993, a two-year UN humanitarian effort (primarily in the south) was able to alleviate famine conditions, but when the UN withdrew in 1995, having suffered significant casualties, order still had not been restored.
In 2000, the Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) held in Djibouti resulted in the formation of an interim government, known as the Transitional National Government (TNG). When the TNG failed to establish adequate security or governing institutions, the Government of Kenya, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), led a subsequent peace process that concluded in October 2004 with the election of Abdullahi YUSUF Ahmed as President of a second interim government, known as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of the Somali Republic.
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President YUSUF resigned late in 2008 while United Nations-sponsored talks between the TFG and the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) were underway in Djibouti. In January 2009, following the creation of a TFG-ARS unity government, Ethiopian military forces, which had entered Somalia in December 2006 to support the TFG in the face of advances by the opposition Islamic Courts Union (ICU), withdrew from the country.
The TFP was doubled in size to 550 seats with the addition of 200 ARS and 75 civil society members of parliament. The expanded parliament elected Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed, the former ICU and ARS chairman as president in January 2009. The creation of the TFG was based on the Transitional Federal Charter (TFC), which outlined a five-year mandate leading to the establishment of a new Somali constitution and a transition to a representative government following national elections.
In 2009, the TFP amended the TFC to extend TFG's mandate until 2011 and in 2011 Somali principals agreed to institute political transition by August 2012.
Economic Overview
Somalia's real GDP per-capita is actually 6000 USD . We can know the exact GDP numbers of Somalia because 98% of the economic transactions of the country uses mobile, because mobile money transactions cover almost all financial activity in Somalia, they provide the most accurate estimate of GDP.
This economic growth trajectory actually began in 2012, after 2015 remittences started playing a less & less role in the economy. Mobile money transactions cover almost all financial activity in Somalia, meaning it captures almost all economic activity-both formal and informal.
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GDP per capita worldwide
Geographic Comparison
Somalia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 627,337 sq km.
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