On April 20, 2010, the Macondo well blew out, costing the lives of 11 men, and beginning a catastrophe that sank the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and spilled nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill disrupted an entire region’s economy, damaged fisheries and critical habitats, and brought vividly to light the risks of deepwater drilling for oil and gas—the latest frontier in the national energy supply. Soon after, President Barack Obama appointed a seven-member Commission to investigate the disaster, analyze its causes and effects, and recommend the actions necessary to minimize such risks in the future. The Commission’s report offers the American public and policymakers alike the fullest account available of what happened in the Gulf and why, and proposes actions—changes in company behavior, reform of government oversight, and investments in research and technology—required as industry moves forward to meet the nation’s energy needs.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Africa today confronts, and is known for, daunting developmental challenges, despite the abundant human and material resources and significant global development assistance. A number of issues have been identified as causes of the continent’s poor development performance. However, a number of these implicated issues have been insufficiently unaccounted for, and the majority of existing analysis on them is too generic and misinformed. Against this background, this book uses Nigeria as an example to contribute knowledge and informed research to the wider African continent. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, and is one of the continent’s most resource-endowed countries, but, despite this, it is one of the poorest countries in the entire world. While many studies have examined the country in depth, its continued development complications and its paradoxical status on the world stage suggest that there is still a need to better understand the country. Even though the issues of Nigeria are engaged with directly in this book, the findings have implications and relevance for the rest of the continent and many other developing countries in general. As such, this book will be of particular interest to all development students, scholars, practitioners and policy makers, especially those interested in the sustainable development of Africa, both now and in the future.