In this talk and related activities, I hope to inspire others to take up one of the greatest challenges of our era: narrowing the governance gap which is at the root of many of Africa’s development and security dilemmas. In view of the emergence of many fragile and failed states,...
In this essay, I will focus on the fifth theme of the Collaborative Learning Initiative: Reclaiming Security. Attempts to reclaim security in many African countries, tragically, often lead to greater insecurity as rulers respond by heightening repression. Some even close down access to social media and global communications thereby harming...
In May 1991 the allied armies of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) overthrew the 27-year military regime (Dergue) in Ethiopia. During the succeeding 27 years, the EPRDF-dominated government attracted one of the highest per capita levels of external aid in the...
Plenary Address to the African Economic Conference of the African Development Bank and the Economic Commission for Africa Addis Ababa, December 4-6, 2017
A Dialogue on Nation-Building took place in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, on January 14-16, 2018. I was one of a dozen individuals invited to serve as resource persons for this meeting of over a hundred representatives from the government, civil society, political and faith-based organizations. The aim of the gathering was to...
The issues discussed in this essay - the fundamental objectives of the Nigerian state, public accountability, and a code of conduct for state officials - have been central concerns throughout its post- colonial history. Underlying these debates have been differing views about the best political economy model for Nigeria. The...
A half-century of high revenues from petroleum export has failed to elevate more than a small percentage of Nigerians above the poverty level. The failure to manage the vicissitudes of global oil markets, and to grow other sectors of the economy, has led to constant budget deficits and unsustainable national...
In the years preceding the 1979 national elections, ideology featured prominently in political debates and consultations regarding the new constitutional order. Proponents of a social democratic system were particularly prominent. However, the actual formation of political parties, governed by the new requirements for national representation, and the resurgence of veteran...
The 1979 Nigerian elections reflected the dedication of Nigerians to pursue democratic governance and the severe challenges to be overcome. The sweeping victory of the NPN, and the election of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as president, required a last-minute manipulation of the formula for achieving victory in the first round. After...
The building of a trans-ethnic political space, and a nation that commands the loyalty of the country’s citizens, have been persistent aspirations of Nigerian governments. The 1979 elections demonstrated that, however much political party leaders may seek to build a national following, they are “trapped” by ethnic and other sectional...
The building of the Second Republic required a military government, which had been deeply engaged in shaping the Federation over almost fifteen years, performing as an impartial umpire in the electoral choice of its successors. This complex process is dissected in this article together with an analysis of the relative...
This article resumes the exploration of Nigeria’s political economy and the entrenchment of a prebendal mode of attitudes and behaviors. It takes up the shift to a mono-mineral export economy, the socio- economic proclivities of the dominant class, the considerable expansion in the state’s economic role, and the distinct pattern...
The forcible ending of Nigeria’s second attempt at constitutional civilian rule since independence in 1960 is a mixed story. The 1983 general elections were tarnished by violence and fraud. They took place in a context of economic decline and policy disarray. However, the opposition still retained an important share of...
In this essay, key features of Nigerian governance since independence are reviewed. The military had ruled the county for thirteen years and civilian politicians, in two phases, had done so for ten. Military governments involved significant participation by civilians, so there was overlap between these successive systems. Moreover, the military...
As many systems of military and autocratic rule came under challenge in Africa, Nigeria lost its leadership position in a democratizing era with the collapse of the Second Republic, 1979-1983. Four military heads-of-state followed. One of the most hopeful transitional experiments in Africa, conducted under General Ibrahim Babangida, 1985-1993, ended...
