Nigeria's economy threatened by Boko Haram

Nigeria experienced, during last years, a boom in economy as foreign investors and big companies have taken a particular interest in the developing country.

In 2013 alone, the country encompassed $21 billion of foreign direct investments, up 28% since the same period of the previous year.

Since 2007, Nigeria has been the country attracting the most investments from abroad.

However, now, under the new threats caused by the Boko Haram militant group, dark clouds loom on the horizon of the Nigerian economy, as Western investors might resume to a mass exodus to avoid any security perils.

'The government has proven unable to prevent large-scale bombings and incapable of curtailing activities of Boko Haram in northern cities. I don't think Nigerian security forces have a grasp on what's taking place,' declared Geoff Porter, head of security consultancy North Africa Risk. 

According to the International Crisis Group, the Boko Haram group has, in just four years, cost the lives of over 4,000 people, destroyed a huge number of schools and government buildings, left 500,000 people without homes and are responsible for the recent massive kidnappings.

While investors in the northern part of Nigeria, where the Islamist group is most active, might withdraw their investments, the southern part of the country experienced no violent attacks so far and it was given a green light by companies like General Electric for oil and gas industry investments.

On the whole, the country's GDP is now at $490 billion, just below the economy of countries like Norway and Sweden.