Federal Republic of Nigeria: Citizens, Society, and State By Scott Yu "Unity and Faith, Peace and...
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Transcript of Federal Republic of Nigeria: Citizens, Society, and State By Scott Yu "Unity and Faith, Peace and...
Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Nigeria:Nigeria:Citizens, Society, and Citizens, Society, and StateStateBy Scott Yu
"Unity and Faith, Peace and "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"Progress"
Lots of Diversity…Lots of Diversity…Between 250 and 400 separate
ethnic groups with own customs, languages, and religions◦Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%,
Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani◦521 languages
Lots of People…Lots of People…Around 150 million
◦8th most populous (after China, India, US, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Bangladesh)
One out of every four Africans Nigerian
Young population◦0-14 years: 41.5%◦15-64 years: 55.5%◦65 years and over: 3.1%◦Median age: 19 years
And still growingAnd still growing2% population growth rate (61st)
◦Compared to Russia’s negative rate◦In Nigeria, each woman bears an
average of 5.49 children in her lifetimeRate of urbanization: 3.8%
◦Compared to PRC’s 2.7%48% of total population urban
◦1.308 million land-line telephones◦62.988 million cell phone users◦11 million internet users
Impact on SocietyImpact on SocietyMore children
◦Dependency ratio steadily rising since 1960s because of urbanization
◦Burden on welfare and educationPositive population growth rate,
negative per capita GDP growth rate
Urban planning◦2002: Abuja at 4 million (compared to
1.5 million)
Public ChallengesPublic ChallengesPoverty
◦60% below poverty line◦Enormous income gap
HIV/AIDS◦One of every eleven HIV/AIDS
sufferers lives in Nigeria◦2.6 million living with AIDS, 170,000
deaths per year◦Prevalence lower but larger
population◦Government initiatives
Public ChallengesPublic ChallengesPublic Health
◦Economic implications◦Life expectancy is 47 years◦1987 Bamako Initiative
Increased accessibility via community-based healthcare and user fees
◦“Brain Drain” 21,000 Nigerian doctors in US alone
LiteracyLiteracy
SchoolingSchoolingPublic education, no
compulsory attendance◦ Secondary school rate
of attendance 32 percent for males and 27 percent for females
◦ Nigerian National Planning Commission: “dysfunctional” (2004)
8 years average◦ Males higher than
females.9% GDP devoted to
education◦ 180th in world
CleavagesCleavagesCumulativeEthnic, regional, religious,
urban/rural, social class◦Undermine basic legitimacy of
government
Ethnicity CleavageEthnicity CleavageHausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba
◦Cultural and language barrier◦Regionally separated and virtually no
contact between groups1967-1970: Nigerian-Biafran War
◦Igbo secession Compare to ongoing Russia-Chechnya
conflict Economic interests
ReligionReligion CleavageCleavageMany competing religions50% Muslim, 40% Christian,
remaining 10% native religionsBitterness from British preferential
treatment of ChristiansDebate about role of sharia in
policymaking◦95% of Nigerian Muslims Sunni (95%),
but a significant Shia minority
Region CleavageRegion Cleavage1955: Division into Three
Federated RegionsRegions election and
legislative procedures, political party affiliations◦East/Igbo/ANPP◦West/Yoruba/AC◦North/Hausa-Fulani/PDP
Urban v. Rural CleavageUrban v. Rural CleavagePolitical organizations, interest
groups, newspapers, and media in cities◦Activities suppressed by annulment
of 1993 election and execution of rights activist and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995
◦Most organized protests in citiesBlack gold in underdeveloped
south
Social Class CleavageSocial Class CleavageElite control state and country’s
resourcesElite divided between personal
and national interests
Political ParticipationPolitical ParticipationLong history of rich civil society but
citizens subjects rather than active participants
Free press and interest group membership even under military rule but restrictions still exist
Much political participation in patron-client system◦Special brand of clientelism known as
“prebendalism” from Max Weber’s concept of an extremely personalized system of rule in which all public offices are treated as personal fiefdoms
◦Kinship ties important since polygamy permitted
Civil SocietyCivil SocietyMany formal interest groups and
informal voluntary associations1999: formal associations
strengthenedTrade unions/professional
organizations: National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG)
Formal associations for legal, medical, and journalism
Voting BehaviorVoting BehaviorPatterns difficult to track since many
elections canceled, postponed, nullified, or fraudulent
Political parties numerous and fluid, formed around charisma of leadership◦Party loyalty is imperfect reflection of
voter attitudesPolitical participation in 1990s
decreased after Babangida’s annulment of 1993 election
1999 and 2003 large turnout (2/3 of eligible voters in 2003 says one estimate)
Attitudes toward Attitudes toward GovernmentGovernmentDistrustful: 1998 “a coup from heaven”Attitudes more favorable and national
identification in early days of independence
2006 Afrobarometer survey of 18 countries◦6 in 10 Africans: democracy best form of
governmentSatisfaction with democracy: 58 to 45%
in 2001Transparency International’s 2006
“Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index”◦142nd out of 146 countries
Protests, Participation, and Protests, Participation, and Social MovementsSocial MovementsInternational oil companies major
targetsJuly 2002: Ijaw encounter with
ChevronTexacoOthers crushed by violent
suppression by Obasanjo government◦MOSOP, MOSSOB
2006: increase in protests and unrest occurred◦Armed rebels attacks
MEND◦Production repercussions
But they’re still happy!But they’re still happy!