Dear all, For a taste of something different, today I'm attaching the contents of a special report on Nigeria that we have just published. It covers everything from oil and politics to mattress-making and Nollywood. The full list of articles is below. I hope you find some subjects of interest. best regards, barney Heady excitement damped by doubt The economy: Oil wealth fails to dent pervasive poverty Politics: Struggle between king and kingmaker Foreign policy: Emerging world powers vie for influence The judiciary: Judges start to carve out independent role The civil service: Poor pay undermines a discredited bureaucracy Farming: Cultivating a new attitude to agriculture Fertiliser: Trying to clear up enduring public sector scam Oil: Financing shortfall shackles output Gas: Masterplan seeks to supply domestic market first The Niger delta: Fragile strategies for a complex conflict Guest column: Why choke the goose? The stock market: Investors shaken by damning analysis Actis: Satisfying a basic need with a piece of furniture Power shortages: Electricity cuts create 'state of emergency' Telecoms: Explosive growth and a radical transformation Starcomms: Benefits of stunted fixed lines Banking: No time to lose in quest for sophistication Ecobank: Doing well in difficult territory Umaru Yar'Adua: In pursuit of respect for the rule of law The north: Steeped in a mood of malaise and neglect Cross river: When the rhetoric runs ahead of a shabby reality On the road: Establishing a few things about our country Literary revival: New writers emerge after the 'big sleep' The film industry: A documentation of the African experience Manufacturing: Talent thrives in city of the small man Six of the best: Lords of the emerging private sector