Lecated in western Africa. Nigeria is situated between the countries of Benin and Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria. Both aim to replace the Nigerian government with an The Niger River, perhaps the most important river in west- klamic state under Sharia law and attack both civilian and re ern Africa, flows into the country through Niger and emp gional military tarects in order to expand their foothold on the ties into the Gulf of Guinea. The total land mass of Nigeria region. Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of Nigerians is slightly larger than twice the size of California. Its natural resources include natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, activity associated with Western society. Additionally. the limestone, niobium, lead, zine, and arable land. The climate country still struggles with infant and maternal mortality and is tropical in most of the country, although the northern has the highest number of deaths due to AlIDS globally. portion of the country is quite arid. The British empire controlled a majority of Africa and, You Be the International Management Consultant specifically, Nigeria from the early 19th century until the end of World War II. Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, but its politics consisted of military regimes and numerous coups. Military rule continued until the adoption of a new constitu- tion in 1999, which transitioned the country's Rovernment dustry in Nigeria currently consists of viewers watching mov- into a civilian one. Since this transition, the political environ- ment has been relatively stable, consisting of legitimate and regular elections. The country is, however, still feeling the ef ash-Sham (ISIS)-West Africa, reside in the northeast of over the last decade, viclently targeting any political or social The Nigerian owner of the Filmhouse Cinemas franchise, Kene Mpkaru, has announced a significant expansion of his company's presence in the country. Although the movie in- ies in their homes. Mpkaru believes there is growth potential for intheater watching Mpkaru has some expertise in the movie theater business prior to owning his Nigerian fran With over 203.4 million people and a growth rate of stantial expansion. Currently, Filmbouse has 9 movie theaters 25 percent in 2019, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation locts of the four decades of corruption and mismanagement" chise, he worked for a European franchise and oversaw sub in Nigeria, and the company plans to open 16 additional loca tions. The greatest challenge to doing business in the country is the relatively low purchasing power of the consumers, with more than 60 percent of the population living below the pov and one of the fastest growing. Population projections indi- cate that the nation will grow to nearly 400 million by 2050, becoming the world's fourth most populous country. The official spoken language is English, due to Nigeria's history erty line. Prior to Filmhouse, Nigeria's main movie theater as a part of the British empire. The country is incredibly pon was a high-end theater that included a full dining expe diverse, with more than 250 ethnic groups. Religiously, fience, costing approximately USS40 per ticket." Nigeria is split evenly between Mustims and Christians. This The country's movies, generally shot with very small budgets. Nigeria has built a film industry of its own in recent years spiritual division has led to significant unrest and civil wars from the time of its independence until recent history." are often released directly to DVD. This industry, referred to as "Nollywood,"accounts for approximately 1.5 percent of the nation's GDP, or US$7 billion. For Filmhouse, this domestic The country's population is younger than most. Nigeria faces the difficult challenge of harnessing the potential of is young industry could serve as an attractive expansion vehicle. population (median age of 18.3 years in 2018) to boost eco nomic development, reduce widespread poverty, and channel individuals into productive activities instead of ongoing rel- Bous and ethnic violence. Wealth inequality is especially pro- nounced in Nigeria, leaving a large gap between the "haves" and Questions 1. If you were a consultant for Filmbouse, how would you advise Kene Mpkaru regarding his next moves in Nigeria? 2. What specifie aspects of the country are positive for the company? What factors are negatives? 3. How would you deal with the wealth gap in the country? 4. Would you advise Filmhouse to concentrate on Nollywood productions, or would you try to attract Hollywood movies? ae nots." With a GDP per capita in 2018 of USS2.100, over Percent of the country's population lives below the poverty 60 he. Nigeria's total 2018 GDP stood at USS409 billion and has een experiencing a slowing, but still steady, economic growth. n 2018, the economy expanded by just over 2 percent. Nigeria still faces major challenges. Two large terrorist sroups, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and