Locals take oil from an overturned oil tanker in the Niger Delta. © George Osodi (Panos)
The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria suffers from extreme poverty: 50% of the population live below the international poverty line.
It also has some of the worst social indicators in the world: one child in every ten dies before the age of five; around 7 million children are not in school; and more than 3 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, the second largest number in any country in the world.
Despite this, Nigeria has received relatively little development assistance compared to the average for sub-Saharan Africa. DFID has increased its aid substantially and quickly, from £35 million in 2003/04 to up to £120 million in 2009/10.