Nigeria’s Sanusi in northern hot seat

The appointment of outspoken former central bank governor Lamido Sanusi as emir of Kano has been widely welcomed as good news for Nigeria in general and the north in particular, although President Goodluck Jonathan may be less thrilled. Sanusi was suspended in February after highlighting the disappearance of $20bn from the country’s oil funds. While the emir has no constitutional power, he is in a position to be a serious thorn in the side of the government ahead of elections next year.