Federal Republic of Nigeria: Citizens, Society, and State By Scott Yu "Unity and Faith, Peace...

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!