Nigeria

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Nigeria
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High Hopes

• Oil and gas and mineral wealth are extraordinary.
• Educated population, 2M with university degrees.
• Fertile soil
• 1 in 5 Africans is Nigerian.

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sad reality

• 164th out of 190 countries in UN wealth tables
• Imports gasoline because so much is stolen.
• Imports food.
• 1980 to 1987 economy contracted by 40!
• Life expectancy only 50.
• High birth rates, country will have 500M by 2050,
  this cuts per capita wealth.
• One of worlds highest rates of HIV infection.
  5,263 Nigerians per doctor, Mexico 613 to 1.
  Government couldnt even meet modest goal of
  treating 10K infected. Most go untreated. 3M
  infected including 800K children. Lots of myths
  about it and those with it are treated as
  outcasts.

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General Issues

• Nigeria a good model for sub-Saharan Africa. It
  is the largest country, and its problems mirror
  many of the rest of the African states.
• Colonial past, and important decisions made by
  Europe still negatively affect Nigeria today.
• Struggling for national identity.
• Struggling to develop institutions.
• Struggling to develop and economy
• Dealing with both democratization and
  globalization.
• Huge oil wealth is more of a curse than a
  blessing. Think of Leonardo.

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Political Culture

• A general embrace of democracy despite frequent
  military rule. This explains why the military
  rule has never lasted all that long.
• Ethnic divisions, main groups are the
  Hausa-Fulani in the north (30), Yoruba in
  southwest (20), and Igbo in southeast (17).
• Emphasis on local community
• No one knows exactly, census taking is usually
  grounds for riots and violence.
• Ironically, even though few identify with
  national state, control of the national state has
  come to mean so much in terms of wealth and power
  that groups compete fiercely for its control.

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cont

• Religion, Muslim north about 50 of people,
  Christian south about 30.
• Region, north is dry and poor, south has better
  land and resources. Oil wealth in south and
  offshore stolen by political elites from
  elsewhere.
• Social wealth is often tied to plum government
  jobs, so competition for government work is
  fierce. Few independent sources of wealth and
  power. Big role for state in economy as 99 of
  exports are from oil wealth.

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In summary

• Since independence in 1960, three civilian
  governments, five successful and several
  attempted military coups, a civil war, and nearly
  30 years of military government. Two attempts at
  democracy on both the British and American
  models.
• Therefore it is harder to learn about Nigeria
  through institutions than any other country. We
  have to pay more attention to history to learn
  the political system. This is what your book
  does in a somewhat poor way.
• Lots of corruption and scheming

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History

• Colonial Era 1861-1960. British rule. Britain
  made some important mistakes, including dividing
  the country up into three administrative units.
  These divisions linger, they roughly reflected
  ethnic groups and each area had its own cash
  crop.
• First Republic 1960-1966. Attempt at Westminster
  model. Quickly dissolved into bitter feuds,
  three main parties reflected ethnic groups.
  Strikes by workers, corruption. Government not
  effective. Military, meanwhile, attracted some
  of the best people in the country as it was
  quickly Africanized.

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cont

• Military Government I 1966-1979- January 15th
  1966 a coup by Igbo officers took over
  government, killed political leaders and
  dissolved the federal state. Quickly, ethnic
  tensions flared up as others feared Igbo
  domination. Igbos living in north were killed,
  northerners living in south killed for revenge.
  A second coup occurred and Colonel Gowon put in
  charge, from middle part of the country. Eastern
  region of Igobos feared massacre by their Muslim
  countrymen and seceded to form the state of
  Biafra. A two year Civil War broke out in which
  500K to 2 million died. Gowon healed tensions
  but economics were bad and oil wasted. Another
  coup by a H-F muslim Murtala Muhammed was
  successful, he promised return to civilian rule.
  He was then killed in an unsuccessful coup by
  followers of Gowon. After this Nigeria returned
  to civilian rule and Lt. Col Obasanjo (Yoruba)
  was made President.

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cont

• The Second Republic 1979-1983 US style
  Presidential system now. Shehu Shagari won,
  tried to fight corruption moved capital to the
  center of the country Abuja from Lagos.
• Economy collapsed when oil prices fell. Shangari
  won a second term but charges of irregularities
  flew and parties broke down along ethnic lines
  again.

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cont

• Military Government II Dec 31 1983, Shangari
  ousted 3 months into second term by another
  successful coup. General Buhari, a Muslim
  northerner, became very authoritarian, he was
  then ousted in another coup in 1985 by Gen
  Babangida, a Muslim from the middle belt.
  Babangida moved towards civilian elections these
  were won by Moshood Abiola in 1993, Babangida
  claimed election was rigged and refused to step
  down. Abiola declared himself President, he was
  jailed and his wife killed. Defense Minister
  Sani Abacha took over. Abacha was somewhat
  brutal and was manipulating the timing of a
  return to civilian government to help himself.
  However he died of a heart attack in 1998 (the
  coup from heaven) and Abiola also died of a heart
  attack a few months later. Power was then
  transferred to civilians.

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Fourth Republic

• Obasanjo steps out of retirement to take
  Presidency.
• This is the system we will study more closely
  now.

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The Constitution

• Could not be more different than the US
  Constitution.
• Very specific, 320 articles!, even has a glossary
  specifically defining key terms so there are no
  grounds for fighting.
• National unity is a key theme
• Schemes to decrease ethnic/regional tension, for
  example president has to win at least 25 of the
  vote in two thirds of Nigerias 36 states.
• Ministers must come from all regions.
• Rights of citizens are pretty broad, privacy
  protections, corruption outlawed, torture and
  discrimination illegal.
• Considered engineering vs reflecting political
  realities of the country, Constitution tries to
  change the country

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Presidency

• Quite powerful, considered better for Nigeria
  because it limits party competition which could
  be unstable.
• Need more checks on parties, regions, ethnic
  groups, so all get some power.
• Similar to US, President must lead and use public
  opinion. Many similar powers to US.
• Vice President must come from different region
  than President.
• Obasanjo worked, but he was somewhat
  authoritative.

Umaru YarAdua is the current president of
Nigeria. Elected in 2007, is a Fulani from north
and a muslim.
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National Legislature

• Again, similar to US, except Senate has districts
  too.
• Not much experience with legislative politics.
• 4 year terms, all elected at same time in both
  House and Senate.
• Reps must make assets public for fear of
  corruption.

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Judiciary

• Highly trusted by the people, has usually
  remained independent. Probably the most
  successful branch.
• Even military governments kept courts around.
• Rule on Constitution and mediate disputes between
  state and national government. Again, much like
  US.
• Sharia courts in Islamic areas controversial,
  rule on areas related to Islam. 2002 case of
  Amina Lawal, convicted of adultery and giving
  birth to an illegitimate child. She was
  sentenced to be buried to her waist and stoned to
  death according to Islamic law. Appealed to the
  government but it did not intercede for fear of
  upsetting the Muslim northern part of the
  country.

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Other Institutions

• Subnational government is important and difficult
  because of the tensions. Each state has a
  governor and runs some own affairs.
• Military remains an important institution with
  its own power base and has strength and unity in
  a country that lacks these qualities.