If someone in the blogosphere can help me find a copy of this CD, I would be forever grateful:

Soundscape doesn't have it. Amazon.ca doesn't have it (although I listed myself as being in the market for it). Neither does CD Connection. I'm at my wit's end! :)

Here's a Pitchfork Media article on Afrobeat.

Update

The package was released in 2001. The company, Strut Records, went out of business two years later. As such, it is out of print.

I checked with a few bricks-and-mortar record stores in T.O. One guy at Penguin Records said any good Afrobeat stuff goes in almost as soon as it comes in. They told me to hit the Net, as finding in any Toronto store would be a very long shot.

At Discogs, 11 people are registered as wanting Nigeria 70. Ten people say they have it.

Finally, I found it for sale at CD Express, a Dutch company.

Here is what the Pitchfork article said:

4. Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funky Lagos [Strut; 2002]

This is one of three items on this list that's currently out of print, and I apologize for that, but it's such an incredible compilation that I'd be remiss not to mention it. This covers the full range of Nigerian funk and soul in the 70s, from Fela's early progressive highlife to ultra-heavy Hausa funk to the funky psychedelia of Blo and Joni Haastrup. Two discs packed solid with outstanding music and a beautiful, informative book of liners apparently weren't enough, though, as the compilers included a third disc of audio documentaries about Fela, Afrobeat, Ginger Baker (the interview with him is downright hilarious), and Nigeria in the 70s. I lucked into a $17 dollar copy at Amoeba Music while visiting friends in San Francisco. If you see it, pay any price. (emphasis mine - BD)

And here is what Pitchfork said about Strut:

Strut is a triumph and a tragedy. Forced into liquidation in 2003, the label was the best going during its too-brief existence. Anything with the Strut, Afrostrut, or Harmless logo on it is worth buying, no questions asked. Despite its whole catalogue being out of print, Strut also warrants a mention here for being one of the first labels to really tackle Afrobeat, and doing it so incredibly well.

Another CD the article mentions, and one that I still own, is:

3. Ghana Sounds: Afrobeat, Funk & Fusion in '70s Ghana [Sound Way; 2003]

I reviewed this for Pitchfork, and I credit it as the recording that got me into Afrobeat. There is no weak track among the 14 gems of Ghanaian funk here, some seeing release for the first time ever, and many of them are among my absolute favorite songs. Unremittingly funky and covering a ridiculous breadth of sounds and approaches, this is not to be missed. Volume 2 is almost equally amazing, and I hope there's more on the way.

I couldn't concur more. This disc is unbelievably infectious.

And finally ...

Pitchfork touted another disc that I own and love: Red Hot & Riot:

Red Hot & Riot (MCA, 2002), a Fela (Kuti) tribute that benefits small organizations in Africa trying to fight back the grim tide of AIDS (infection rates are near 50% in many southern African countries and recent trends in Uganda show that even countries with successful anti-AIDS programs are susceptible to backsliding). It features a huge cast of stars from all over the world, from Tony Allen and Fela's son Femi, an important modern Afrobeat exponent in his own right, to Jorge Ben, Blackalicious, Archie Shepp, Mixmaster Mike, and Senegalese rappers Positive Black Soul.