As Nigeria celebrates 100 years of unification between its northern and southern halves, Nigeria is poised to take on a leadership role among African countries. With over 250 different ethnic groups comprising its citizenry, even a nation as diverse as Nigeria can expect to encounter some obstacles to establishing and maintaining stability. The biggest threats Nigeria faces today are systemic corruption, terrorist violence, and social and human rights. Transparency International's ranking, which ranks Nigeria 144th out of 177 countries, is just one example of Nigeria's endemic corruption problem, which ranges from politicians funneling embezzled public revenue into foreign bank accounts; to police departments demanding bribes before conducting investigations or granting bail; and universities where school officials demand bribes for admission and students pay teachers to improve grades.1,2 These types of political and economic corruption exacerbate the security challenges Nigeria faces as officials prefer to spend government funds to increase personal fortunes rather than use them to counter militaristic policies. threats against the nation, such as Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lida'awati wal Jihad (Boko Haram). At the local level, police officers who accept bribes to allow anyone to pass unmolested through a checkpoint further expose the nation's population to potential security risks through the freedom of movement gained by insurgent/terrorist elements. Furthermore, the discriminatory and inequitable application of civil justice and legal rights against various socioeconomic classes continues to generate state-sponsored violence and human rights abuses. .... middle of paper ......ALDAS: Nigeria is on the verge of becoming the most powerful nation in Africa. Business day live. Retrieved June 6, 2014, from http://www.bdlive.co.za/articles/2012/01/04/ronak-gopaldas-nigeria-is-poised-to-become-africa-s-most-powerful-nation; jsessionid=2650350BEE847FEF1CB5B35CB8C75A30.present1.bdfm13. Steve, F. (2014, April 2). Nigeria's Uprising: The Woman Behind the Nation's Economic Turnaround. Forbes. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2014/04/02/nigeria-rising-the-woman-behind-the-nations-economic-turnaround/5/14. Okonjo-Iweala, N. (2014, April 30). Reform Nigeria. Global. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/discussions/interviews/reforming-nigeria15. Comparison of debt ratios. (n.d.). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703789104576272891515344726