nigeria citizens, society and the state. most populous nation in africa (140 million) gdp per capita...
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NigeriaCitizens, Society and the State
Most populous nation in Africa (140 million)
GDP per capita = $2,134
HDI rank #151 The Economist’s
Democracy Index ranking = #124 (few spots higher than China and Iran)
Themes in Comparative Government Natural resources – oil rich Ethnic diversity Unstable gov’ts and military dictatorships Colonialism and military rule has created
difficulties in creating democracy Challenge of Islam and democracy
Sovereignty, Authority, and Power “The national question” is an issue: Should
Nigeria even be a country? Constitutionalism – eluding Nigeria so far
First constitution in 1914, 8 more since (latest in 1999)
Military and civilian leaders alike have never felt the need to obey constitutions, and often write new ones upon taking power
Sovereignty, Authority, and Power Legitimacy
Newly independent (1960) Highly fragmented along ethnic, regional,
religious lines The sole stable national institution is the military
Leads to legitimacy of military’s right to rule Most leaders have been generals
Extremely low legitimacy of government, overall
Sovereignty, Authority, and Power Legitimacy
Contradicting political traditions Rule of Law from British colonial days Personalized authority of military leaders since
1960 Massive corruption, distrust of government
Political History 3 Major Eras
Pre-Colonial (800 - 1860) Colonial (1860 – 1960) Since Independence (1960 – Present)
Pre-Colonial Era (800 – 1860) Trends
Trade connections along Niger river with North Africa and other civilizations
Early influence of Islam – elite tended to be educated in Arabic and learned the sharia
Kinship-based politics – rule was at village level, and were basically extended families
Complex political identities – some centralized kingdoms mixed in with small village governance
Democratic impulses – rulers expected to seek counsel and govern in the interests of the people
Colonial Era (1860 - 1960) Trends
Authoritarian rule – British established chiefs to rule on their behalf
Interventionist state – no “free market”… chiefs expected to rule to meet economic goals set by the British
Individualism – self-interest of capitalism was mixed with state-domination of the economy (uh oh…)
Christianity – spread mainly to south and west (Islam entrenched in the north)
Intensification of ethnic politics – Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba competed for “rewards” from British
Era Since Independence (1960 – Present) Trends
Parliamentary replaced by Presidential government in 1979 since majority was difficult to establish
Intensification of ethnic conflict – Hausa-Fulani formed a majority coalition with Igbo, angering the Yoruba
Military rule – frequent coups Personalized rule and corruption Federalism – attempt to pacify ethnic tension, though
military leaders did not allow much local power Economic dependence on oil – enriches those in power,
who ignore other sectors of the economy
Era Since Independence (1960-Present) Elected leadership in 1960, overthrown in military coup
in 1966 3 more coups by 1976, Olusegun Obasanjo takes power
Willfully steps down for democratically elected president in 1979 2 more coups by 1985, when Ibrahim Babangida takes
power Resigned under public pressure in 1993 when he promised to
step down for civilian leadership, then voided the election Sani Abacha (1993-1998) rules brutally, dies of a heart attack
(maybe poisoned?), replaced by Vice President Abubakar Obasanjo elected for 2 terms (1999-2007) Umaru Yar’Adua elected in 2007
All elections finished with concerns of fraud, violence, etc.
Era Since Independence (1960-Present) 2012 – Pres. Jonathan announced end to fuel subsidies.
Nigeria is a major oil producer but has to import most of its fuel Information was leaked that 15 fuel importers collected more than
$300 million in 2010 without importing any fuel (Oil Management Company and state Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were among these companies)
This led to week long national strikes by unions and protests over the double issue of corruption and an end to the subsidy.
Part of the subsidy was reinstated (Jan. 1st price had doubled to 140 naira per liter) Pres. Jonathan set price at 97 naira on January 16th
Boko Haram – translation “Western Education is sinful” started in 1995 with goal to establish sharia law; opposes man-made laws
(liberalism) and modern science Attackes churches and Christians; assassinates Muslim clerics who criticize them By the end of 2012 was responsible for between 3,000-10,000 deaths.
Ibrahim Babangida Military President,
1985 – 1993 Resigned
Sani Abacha Military President,
1993 – 1998 Died in office
Olusegun Obasanjo Military President,
1976 – 1979 Resigned for democratic
leadership
President, 1999 – 2007 Term limited
Umaru Yar’Adua President, 2007 –
2010 Left for heart
treatment in Saudi Arabia, acting Vice President Goodluck Jonathan
Yar’Adua died in 2010
Goodluck Jonathan Acting President, 2010
after Yar’Adua died Announed on
Facebook he would run for re-election
2011 – won re-election with 59% of vote
Political Culture Patron-Clientelism (prebendalism) - exchange of
political and economic favors to build support of the leadership
State attempts to control rich civil society (and mostly fails) – many independent associational groups still thriving
Tension between modernity and tradition Religious conflict – centered on role of sharia in
law and political authority
Geographic Influence Northwest – Hausa-Fulani,
Muslim Northeast – Kanuri,
Muslim Middle-Belt – smaller
groups, mix of Muslim and Christian
Southwest – Yoruba, mix of religions
Southeast – Igbo, Catholic and Christian
South – various minorities
Citizens, Society, and the State Necessary condition for democratization:
citizens need to have time to pay attention and participate in the political process
Problem for Nigeria: 60% live in poverty Large gap between rich and poor (Gini = 50.6) Health issues – AIDS epidemic (1 in 11 AIDS
carriers are Nigerian) Literacy – 75.7% for men, 60.6% for women
Citizens, Society, and the State Cleavages – one of the most fragmented
societies in the world Ethnicity – 250 to 400 distinct ethnic groups with different
languages and religions in many cases Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba tribes are largest, but can’t
speak each other’s languages and have no contact generally
Religion – 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% various native religions
Disputes rooted in preferential treatment British gave to Christians, role of sharia in Nigerian law
Citizens, Society, and the State Cleavages – one of the most fragmented
societies in the world Region – North (predominantly Muslim) vs.
South (predominantly Christian) Urban/rural differences – political organizations,
interest groups, media only operate in cities Social class – elite are those with ties to the
state, who often use the treasury to benefit themselves
Nigerian states that implement some form of Sharia law
Citizens, Society, and the State Public Opinion and Political Participation
Patron-Clientelism (prebendalism) – local officials treat public offices as personal fiefdoms
Civil Society – many associational interest groups free to operate, some strengthen Nigerian unity, others work to fragment society on ethnic/religious lines
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) – founded by Ken Saro-Wiwa to get oil benefits for Ogoni living in Niger Delta, hold oil companies to environmental standards
Saro-Wiwa was publicly executed in 1995
Citizens, Society, and the State Public Opinion and Political Participation
Voting Behavior – no one knows how many Nigerians participate because of the irregularities in their elections (estimates around 66%)
Attitudes Toward Government – distrust of most officials, cynicism
Nigeria ranks 130 of 180 on the “Corruption Perception Index”
Abacha’s heart attack was celebrated as the “coup from heaven”
Citizens, Society, and the State Public Opinion and Political Participation
Protests, Participation, and Social Movements Increasing protest and organization/mobilization
since 1999 Often focused around international oil companies
Linkage Institutions Political Parties
Regionally based Extreme factionalization resulted in development
of so many parties, there is no coherent party system
Parties appear and disappear based on leaders
Linkage Institutions Political Parties
Currently: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – Obasanjo and
Yar’Adua’s party of power, “won” in most parts of the country with Southern and Northern candidates
All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) – General Muhammad Buhari’s party
Action Congress (AC) – merger of many parties, led by Atiku Abubakar (who was disqualified from running in 2007, then reinstated by the Supreme Court days before the election)
These parties are becoming less regional, and increasingly run a “ticket” with candidates of different regions, campaigning across all of Nigeria
Linkage Institutions Political Parties
Why? 1999 Constitutional requirement
Winning presidential candidate must receive 25% of votes cast in at least 2/3 of all states
Attempt to prevent regional candidates from winning the presidency and unite Nigeria
Linkage Institutions Elections
Independent National Election Commission (INEC) requires parties to qualify for national elections with at least 5% of votes in 2/3 of states
Legislative 109 Senators elected by popular vote (3 per state, 1 from
Abuja) 360 House of Representatives elected in SMD plurality
elections Presidential
2 ballot majority system (with the regional requirement) All elections usually involve fraud and irregularities
Linkage Institutions Interest Groups
Pretty healthy, though influence is restricted by corruption and prebendalism
Labor Unions – Babangida attempted to restrain their influence through corporatism, but they are still active
Business Interests – historically collaborated with military, now push for economic reforms
Human Rights Groups – protested Babangida and Abacha, promote democracy
Mass Media – well developed, independent press in Nigeria mostly in the South, also reflective of regional divisions
State Institutions Federalism
36 states Doesn’t really work… dependent on central
government Executive – President and Cabinet
Directly elected May appoint officials to all parts of national
government without approval of legislature (leads to patrimonialism)
State Institutions Bureaucracy – assumed to be bloated, corrupt,
and inefficient Para-Statals – privately owned, but headed by
government appointees (part of the patron-client network) Provide public utilities or major industries
Nigerian Electric Power Administration (NEPA) – called “Never Expect Power Again” by Nigerians
Changed name to Power Holding Company (PHC) – called “Please Hold Candle” by Nigerians
State corporatism – para-statals serve to give the appearance of public/private cooperation, while really giving the state control
State Institutions Legislature – parliamentary until 1979, now
bicameral National Assembly Senators and Representatives serve 4 year terms, elected
the week before the president Senate
109 Senators, 3 per state, 1 from Abuja Very diverse given the different regions that are equally
represented House of Representatives
360 members elected by SMD plurality Very little power, but occasionally acts as a check on
president (like when Obasanjo wanted a 3rd term)
State Institutions Judiciary
Federal and state courts with an appeals process up to the Supreme Court
Strong and autonomous after independence, but since ravaged by military rule
Most judges today are not well versed in law, easily manipulated by the government
Theoretically in charge of judicial review, not practically Law is complicated by the sharia which operates in 12
northern states, controversially
State Institutions Military
Military made distinctions between “military in government” and “military in barracks” after early coups
“Military in government” presidents (like Babangida) had to restrain influence of traditional military
Appointed senior military to cabinet positions to make them part of his patronage network
The best place for young Nigerians to improve their lives, demonstrate their talents
Controversial, but it is the one national institution with the capability to restore order
Public Policy Issues in Nigeria Oil – Strength or Weakness?
Brings wealth from rents and gives Nigeria international clout, but makes Nigeria a rentier state
Structural Adjustment Collapse of oil prices in 1980’s led to massive public debt World Bank and IMF worked to restructure Nigeria’s debt
provided it would implement “shock therapy” and reduce its dependence on oil
Private economy still hasn’t expanded much since, parastatals still under state control
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