I think the common mistake people make is that they believe African countries have the same interests, they don't.
People here understand Africa a lot better than you believe. Africa is not some closed-off alien planet. People have visited, talked to the people on the ground, talked to the elites in the government. Don't pretend you're the only one who can speak for Africa, there are many who have, and we hear them.
Nigeria's interests is to remain the big brother in West Africa (well at least historically).
If they destroy their neighbors to make their neighbors easy pray to the west, then it is not in their interest. If anything, Nigeria should step up and help their neighbors shake off imperialism. That would make them the big brother of Africa. You do not sell your younger brothers to slavery, even if you can get a good price for them!
Using it's military to remove and safe guard regimes it dislikes and favors respectively. It just so happens that Nigeria's interest and the west's interests align on this Niger issue, nothing more nothing less.
Western interests do not align on this Niger issue with Nigeria for the very simple fact that a western-controlled Niger will be a base for the west to attack (whether overt or covert) Nigeria should Nigeria ever step out of line. If Nigeria's interests include sovereignty in the long term, then their interests do not align with Frances'.
Has nothing to do with being a puppet. If anything France has never liked that an English speaking country is the dominant force in West Africa where it has the most African colonies (this is why it supported the Biafran separatists in the Nigerian civil war). So I don't understand how Nigeria can be a puppet.
Superficial issues, lol. They are the black friend a white supremacist has to be able to say "I can't be racist, I have black friends!"
