This paper argues that the notion that a strong state is the necessary condition for development is misleading and disproved by Nande traders.
The Dynamics of Nigeria’s Population Policies
ABSTRACT Since her attainment of political independence in 1960, Nigeria has experienced a number of demographic experiments. These experiments were designed to facilitate good governance, strengthen her economy, assist in poverty reduction and provide meaningful data for the uplifting of the lives of her populations. Also since the 1963 census, administrative changes in the number […]
Money Politics, Political Culture of Godfatherism and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria—Lessons from the 2007 Gubernatorial Election in Edo State
ABSTRACT Nigeria is one of the African countries that is responding to Western pressures to make its states acquire a liberal and democratic culture. Over the years, Nigeria has practiced what can be described as fraudulent democracy. This democracy has been characterized by obnoxious acts such as indiscriminately using money and by very powerful and […]
Patron-Client Politics: Democracy and Governance in Nigeria, 1999-2007
ABSTRACT: This paper will examine patron-client politics in the context of democracy and governance in Nigeria with special focus on the first phase of the Fourth Republic, 1999-2007. This paper, which is essentially based on study of secondary source data, reveals that the politics is neither historically new nor peculiar to Nigeria. Its evidence abounds […]
Elections in Nigeria Since the End of Military Rule
ABSTRACT: Since the end of military rule in May 1999, the nationwide elections have been trailed with issues and incidents that generate a lot of anxiety, fear and trepidation. For the record, since the exit of the military from political power, there have been general elections in 2003 and 2007. The conduct and outcome of […]
Social Justice, Democracy and Cultural Renewal in Nigeria
Globally, democracy is at the heart of social justice. This is because it represents a vehicle for the actualization of the principles of fairness, equality of opportunity, liberty, and social rights and the absence of social and class barriers. In the Third World, social justice is largely constrained by the failed attempts to deepen and […]
Environmental Protection Laws and Sustainable Development in the Niger Delta
This paper examines the link between Nigerian environmental protection laws and the sustainable development of the Niger Delta. To achieve this objective, the paper highlights the environmental challenges of the region, and critically examines some environmental laws to determine their usefulness and effectiveness in dealing with environmental problems. The paper argues that due to the […]
De-constitutionalising? Democratic Governance in Nigeria: Assessing executive- legislative handling of executive-power vacuum in the fourth republic
Nigeria returned to constitutional democracy anchored on the presidential system in 1999. Under the new fourth republic constitution, while there are three distinct institutions of government, each organ of government is vested with certain responsibilities. To avoid disruption in the running of the state’s affairs, certain constitutional obligations and duties are given to the executive […]
The Niger Delta in Nigerian Nation-Building, 1960-2005
This work highlights the various methods employed by the Niger Delta peoples in nation‐building. In the First Republic they propounded the twelve states structure of the Nigerian Federation. Then in the civil war period, between 1967 and 1970, they were the cornerstone of the victory of the Federal Troops as well as saving lives in […]
Growing Civic Awareness – Symptomatic Rehearsal of True Democratic Dividend: Lessons from Nigeria’s General Elections of 2007
The concept of democratic dividend is a peculiar one among Nigerian politicians whereby political office holders believe that their call to service is occasioned by the need to garner as much of political goods to their electors as possible from the “national cake”. Therefore, there is a popular conception (or perhaps misconception) among the local […]
