WHO: Carl LeVan, Nigeria expertWHAT: Crisis in NigeriaWHEN: May 21 -ongoingWHERE: In–studio, on campus, via telephone
Nigeria’s nearly 300 girls have been held captive for over a month. What has Goodluck Jonathan done so far to get them back? What should Jonathan be doing? Can the international community do more? Will U.S. military expertise bring a resolution to the crisis or exacerbate tensions and provoke Boko Haram? American University Professor Carl LeVan can answer these questions and more.
Carl LeVan, assistant professor in American University’s School of International Service, is an expert on Nigeria who worked for U.S. Representative John Conyers (D-MI) and later as the National Democratic Institute's country director in Nigeria. LeVan was in Nigeria when nearly 300 girls were abducted by Boko Haram. He’s subsequently briefed Capitol Hill staff members on the politics, policies, and obstacles in bringing a swift resolution to the current crisis addressing what the Jonathan administration needs to do and how the international community can help. LeVan’s Christian Science Monitor op-ed Six ways to #BringBackOurGirls coauthored with Priscilla Achakpa, executive director of Women Environmental Programme, who helped organize the #BringBackOurGirls protests in Nigeria, provides critical steps that should be taken immediately.
LeVan is author of the forthcoming, Dictators, Democracy and African Development: The Political Economy of Good Governance in Nigeria (Cambridge University Press, 2015) which explains two categories of public policy performance over fifty years, challenging conventional explanations that blame ethnicity, oil, foreign debt, and other factors. He publishes the blog, Development4security. American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.
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