Nigeria (Federal Republic of Nigeria)

Nigeria (Federal Republic of Nigeria)

Demographics Poverty 70% of Nigerians live below poverty line, with many living in absolute poverty. Gap between Rich & Poor Health Issues Nigeria has the second highest rate of people living with AIDS/HIV Literacy for males is 75.7% and for females 60.6% (World averages are 83% men, 71% for women)

Pre-colonial Era (800-1600) Influence of Islam Trade with North Africa put Hausa & other groups in contact with Arab education and Islam. Sharia emerges as dominant political principle in the North Complex Political Identities contrast between centralized state and local governance. Democratic Impulses accountability and communal politics inflelenced villages, including Yoruba and Igbo.

Legacy of Slavery

Colonial Era (1860-1960) Authoritarian Rule British strengthened the authority of traditional chiefs, making them accountable only to British. Interventionist State the British trained local leaders to operate government to achieve economic goals. Individualism a tendency of local leaders to think about personal benefits of governance, rather than good of the community

Colonial Era Christianity British introduction of Christianity created a split between Christian and Muslim dominated areas. Islam dominant in the north, Christianity in the southeast and southwest. Intensification of Ethnic Politics emergence of three dominant groups: Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba. British pitted groups against each other by promising rewards to some groups but not others.

British Colonialism

Independence Era (1960-Present) Parliamentary vs. Presidential System Parliamentary system from 1960-1979. The country switched to presidential system with separate legislature and independent judiciary, but neither has been able to check power of the president. Intensification of Ethnic Conflict After independence Hausa-Fulani dominated parliament because of large population. They formed a coalition with Igbo of the southeast to ensure their dominance, this created added tension and conflict with Yoruba of the west. In 1966 a group of Igbo military officers seized power.

Independence

Independence Era Military Rule Personalized Rule/Corruption Federalism Economic dependence on Oil- resource curse

Public Authority & Political Power Na#onal Ques#on differing opinions about how poli3cal power and resources should be distributed and how the government should be constructed. Neither Nigeria s leaders nor its ci#zens agree on the basics of who should rule and how Ques#ons about whether Nigeria should remain one state Problems tradi#onally solved by military force and authoritarianism

Political Culture Patron-Clientelism (Prebendalism) Clientelism exchanging political and economic favors among patrons and clients, leads to corruption and decreases transparency State Control/Underdeveloped Civil Society Civil society refers to voluntary associations that lie outside government control. Modernity vs. Tradition Religious Conflict

Ethnic Groups

Poverty

Political Cleavages Ethnicity Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba dominate Region-North is more populous and poorer. Religion Islam, Christianity, and native religions. Urban vs. Rural Differences most political organizing, interest groups, and political protest takes place in cities. Social Class The elite maintain their power by appealing to religious and ethnic identities. Elite acquire wealth through access to state treasury.

Wealth Gap

Prebendalism Personal offices treated like fiefdoms. Local government officials gain support of villagers by dispensing favors. Corruption and informal influence are rampant Represents an established form of political participation

Attitudes toward Government Citizens do not Trust Nigerian Government Corruption Military Rule Weakness of Civil Society Nigerians support democracy but are skeptical

Protests & Social Movements Environmentalists (Ken Saro-Wiwa) Targeted the international oil companies, especially in the Niger River Delta In 2002 group of Ijaw women occupied Chevron s Nigerian headquarters for 10 days Women s Movement President Obasanjo made it part of his 2003 campaign to include more women in cabinet and bureaucratic offices Nigerian legislature has very low female representation.

Protests

Boko Haram An Islamic terrorist group targe3ng Chris3ans and Westerners.

MEND The Movement for the Emancipa3on of the Niger River Delta

Interest Groups A large number of civil society organizations often cooperate with political parties Religious interest groups are important in Nigeria Citizens have worked around military authoritarianism to have an impact on political life through labor unions, student groups, and populist groups.

Interest Groups Labor Unions In July 2003 labor unions widely and openly protested the government s attempt to raise oil prices for Nigerian consumers Business Interests Associations for manufacturers, butchers, and car rental firms have operated outside the realm of government and helped promote economic reforms of the 1990s Human Rights Groups Promote democratic reforms Include university students, teachers, civil liberties organizations, and professional groups (doctors, lawyers)

Political Parties Nigeria has a multi-party system with two or three stronger parties. People s Democratic Party (PDP) Well-established Party Party of the first four democratically elected presidents Do to voter fraud, difficult to determine accurate level of support for the PDP Usually alternates between Muslim and Christian Candidates All Progressives Congress (APC) Tends to receive more support from the Muslim North Won in 2015, marking the first transition between political parties

Mass Media Nigeria has well-developed, independent press Press reflects ethnic divisions in the country Outspoken and critical newspapers, mainly in the south Radio is the main source of information for most Nigerians All 36 states have their own radio stations

Institutions of National Government Nigeria is a federal political system (in theory) Three branches of government Each of the 36 states and 774 local governments has an executive, legislative, and judicial branch Currently neither federalism or checks & balances operate, and state & local governments are completely dependent on the National government

Elections & Electoral Procedures Citizens vote for candidates on 3 levels: local, state, and national. On the national level citizens vote for the president, representatives to the National Assembly, and senators from their states.

Presidential Elections If presidential candidate does not receive outright majority, a second ballot election takes place. President must receive at least 25% of the votes in 2/3 of the states A purely regional candidate can not win

Election Fraud Beginning in 1999, 4 consecutive elections were held without annulment or delay. The 2015 election was delayed and then held in March. Public protest and several deaths have accompanied the last few elections, but the 2015 election was the cleanest in history

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) International teams concluded elections were corrupt Voting boxes were stolen, vandalized, and stuffed with fraudulent votes Voting patterns in the south in particular were suspicious

The Executive The president has very strong powers Propose a program of policies Appoint cabinet officials Commander- in- chief Signs bills Meets with foreign officials

President Buhari

Legislative Elections Regional representation dominates in both houses. Wide-array of ethnic coalitions in legislature Legislative authority is weak in Nigeria

Legislature Senate 109 Senators 3 from each of the 36 states 1 from Abuja district Directly elected by popular vote Senators are ethnically and religiously diverse National Assembly Formerly called House of Representatives 360 member representatives Single-member districts, elected by plurality vote

Legislature Corruption scandals in 1999 president of the Senate and speaker of the lower house were removed for perjury and forgery. In 2000 the Senate president was removed for accepting kickbacks for a government contract

Judiciary Nigeria is attempting to professionalize the judiciary. Judicial review exists in theory Shari a courts exist along with courts developed on British model Civil Liberties Violations: In 1995, activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and 8 other activists were detained and executed under court orders arranged by the military and presided over by military officers Members of Boko Haram report being detained and tortured

Bureaucracy British installed elaborate civil service system during colonial period Under the Federal Character System, the president must appoint ministers from each of the states and the bureaucracy is filled using a quota system. Bureaucracy is bloated, corrupt, and inefficient. Bribery is common. Jobs in civil service are often awarded through the patron-client system, Prebendalism.

Bureaucracy-Parastatals Most government agencies are parastatals, or corporations owned by the state. (Similar to PEMEX in Mexico) Provide commercial and social welfare services Board members are appointed by government ministers, and corporate executives are part of the president s patronage system Parastatals provide public utilities such as water, electricity, public transportation, and agricultural subsidies Control major industries such as steel, defense industry, and petroleum

Bureaucracy- Parastatals In Nigeria, corporatism is furthered by parastatals, because they are controlled by the government it is referred to as State Corporatism Parastatals insure that the state controls private interests as well as fulfills social & economic functions Parastatals serve as a contact point between government & business interests, but state ultimately controls these interactions (Corrupt & inept)

Military Military in Government those who initiate coups and take over the responsibility of the executive branch Military in Barracks fulfills traditional duties of military, its leaders have been critical of military control of political power. Military is one of the few institutions that is truly national in character. Military has restored and maintained order during ethnic strife and conflict Nigeria has send troops to other nations under ECOMOG

Economic Issues Loyalty pyramids and corruption have led to a squandering of Nigeria s wealth Nigeria is currently in debt and the majority of the population lives in poverty Nigeria is a rentier state, in which a significant portion of government revenue is generated through rent Large oil revenues have been pocketed by government officials

Oil Dependence

Oil Dependence OPEC member The derivation formula is the percentage of revenues that should accrue to oil-producing localities. Lack of economic diversification hurts Nigeria when oil prices drop Nigeria suffers from the resource curse.

Oil

Structural Adjustment World Bank & IMF involvement Restructure & diversification of Nigerian economy Privatize parastatals Cut government spending Parastatals still under government control Debt repayment had to be restructured

National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) Increased transparency by auditing various levels of government Created an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to pursue theft and money laundering Improved infrastructure: electricity, transportation, telecommunications, sanitation, drinking water

Foreign Relations Economic Organiza3on of West African States (ECOWAS) African Union- stresses commitment to democra3c rule in Africa New Partnership for Africa s Development (NEPAD)- eradicate poverty, sustain growth, integrate Africa into the global world, empower African women