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Nigeria: Challenges and Transitions in Governance

Nigeria, Africa's most populous state, has a complex history of transitions from colonialism to military rule and democracy movements. The country struggles with poverty, religious and ethnic tensions, and the formation of a national identity. Explore the political traditions, cultural diversity, and economic dependence on oil shaping Nigeria's political landscape since pre-colonial times.

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Nigeria: Challenges and Transitions in Governance

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  1. NIGERIA Part 1

  2. Africa’s most populous state • recently independent • history of • tradition-based kingdoms • colonialism • military dictatorship • strong democracy movements coupled with tendency to totalitarian military rule • vast resources, but tremendous poverty • religious, regional and ethnic tension: • challenge to formation of national identity • legitimacy

  3. The Sources of Public Authority and Political Power • the ‘national question’: • how should the country be governed? • should it be a single nation? • constitutionalism : the acceptance of a constitution as a guiding set of principles • 9 constitutions since 1914 • legitimacy: • relative newness of country • history of • ethnic and religious division and conflict • economic exploitation by elites • use of military force • strong tendency toward fragmentation • rule of law vs. personalized authority of the strongman

  4. in North, sharia has served as a source of legitimacy, but religious law has not transformed society • 2007 election widely seen as fraudulent • frustration and cynicism in electorate • international criticism • added challenges to legitimacy

  5. Political traditions • 3 eras: pre-colonial, colonial and independence • pre-colonial: 800-1860 • trade connections • early influence of Islam • kinship-based politics • complex political identities • democratic impulses

  6. the colonial era: 1860 – 1960 • indirect authoritarian rule • interventionist state • individualism/personalization • Christianity • intensification of ethnic politics

  7. post-independence: 1960 to present • parliamentary-style government replace by a presidential system • intensification of ethnic conflict • military rule • personalized rule/corruption • federalism • economic dependence on oil

  8. Political Culture • historic traditions -> complex modern political culture • ethnic diversity and conflict, corruption, politically active military • democratic tradition, responsive leadership • patron-clientelism (prebendalism) • prebendalism: the corrupt use of high-level government position to gain personal wealth • patron (political leader) builds loyalty among clients (lesser elites) by granting favors denied to others • state control vs. a rich civil society • the sectors of society that lie outside of government control

  9. political culture, cont. • tension between modernity and tradition • religious conflict • geography: 6 population zones • NW: Hausa-Fulani, Muslim • NE: Kanuri and other smaller groups, Muslim • Middle Belt: many small groups, religious mix • SW: Yoruba, 40% Muslim, 40% Christian, 20% other • SE: Igbo, Christian (RC and Protestant) • S: Niger River delta, many small groups

  10. Political and Economic Change the Pre-Colonial era: geography and political, social and economic development northern savannah vs. forested south -> cultural diffusion North: 1808, Fulani established Muslim state (Sokoto Caliphate) succumbed to British colonial rule, but established tradition of centralized, faith-based government South: contact with Europeans Christianity slave trade

  11. Political and Economic Change, cont. the Colonial Era: 1860: the British imposed indirect rule Nigerians (south) trained to fill Euro-style bureaucracy left northern government structures intact exacerbated regional division encouraged elitism/prebendalism introduction of Western-style education increased both literacy and cleavages

  12. Political and Economic Change, cont. Modern Nigeria: independence 1960 1966: parliamentary government replaced by military dictatorship, cycle of coups d’etat military leaders: a history of extraconstitutional and nondemocratic rule elections plagued by fraud and violence the “national question” would Nigeria survive as a country? heightened ethnic competition and conflict post-independence institutionalization of corruption among political elites

  13. Leadership Transitions, 1960 - present

  14. Leadership Transitions, 1960 - present

  15. Citizens, Society and the State Challenges of democratization: poverty unequal income distribution health literacy

  16. Comparative literacy rates

  17. cleavages one of the world’s most fragmented societies lack of cross-cutting cleavages sub-national cleavage -> violent conflict identity-based civil war conflicts have undermined legitimacy and governance sources of cleavage: ethnicity religion region urban/rural social class

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