Julianna Butzer, Abbie Holcombe, & Bridget Deehan

Influences on Public Policy-making & Implementation● prebendalism: similar to clientelism but has ties to ethnicity and religion (traces back to

military rule and loyalty pyramids)

○ major source of corruption, has most influence on policy-making and implementation

○ state governments, legislatures, and courts have tried to hold president accountable to

negotiating policies and implement them constitutionally

● “the elite theory” (elite class makes the policies that benefit them and not the masses)

-causes majority of the population to feel disconnected from policy-making process

● policies presented by certain political parties usually only benefit religious/ethnic/regional

group that coincides with the party

● lack of efficiency/communication between inter-governmental

agencies (parastatals, ministries, legislature, and executive)

Supranational & International OrganizationsInternational Organizations:

● United Nations

● African Union- it’s purpose is to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African

countries and Africans.

● Community of Sahel-Saharan States- it’s purpose is to make the region a free trade area

● Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)- promotes economic integration

across the region

● West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ)- This is within ECOWAS and it is six countries that

plan to create a common currency.

Current Major Policy Issues● 45-60% of the population lives “below the poverty line”

● 3-5 million people suffer from AIDS currently

● Significant gender gaps in political representation and education

● 8 of the northern states have less than 20% of literate women

● Danger of coinciding cleavages with PDP becoming Christian party of the South

and APC becoming the Muslim party of the North

● 38% of Nigerians under 24 are unemployed

● 120 languages, 3 main ethnic groups, and religious divide

● Much of nation’s wealth is in oil-rich south

● Women discriminated more in sharia law states

Economic Performance● 1985 was a turning point for Nigeria’s economy, Structural Adjustment Program

(SAP)

○ program established by World Bank to decrease national debt and promote privatization, by 2005

Nigeria’s debt had been reduced by 90% during Obasanjo’s presidency

● the oil industry generates the most revenue, however, massive corruption is

spurred on by this sector (all of the revenue goes to the elite class)

○ generates 75% of government revenue and 95% of exports

○ economy vulnerable to price fluctuations and low oil prices can cause massive inflation

● much of the government’s attention is focused on oil sector, causing an open

market effect for the service sector of the economy

○ service sector has seen 57% growth and a 7% growth in GDP over the past decade an

Economic Performance

Social Welfare● 160 out of 177 HDI

● 70% of the country is below the poverty line

● Poverty is seen as a rural issue as it is a rich country with poor people

● Nigeria’s literacy rate is 59.6%- Female 49.7%, Male 69.2%

● Males average 10 years of school

● Females average 8 years of school

Health-

● Life expectancy: Men- 52yrs Women- 54 years

● Infant Mortality Rate: 36/1000 live births

● Malaria causes 20% of the deaths in Nigeria per year

● 4% die from malnutrition

● The CDC has launched initiatives that help to mitigate many issues including HIV/AIDS

concerns and the lack of Polio vaccinations.

Social Welfare

Civil Liberties & Rights ● Civil liberties rating: 5

● Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, speech, and expression

● Religious freedom is constitutionally granted and respected by the govt

● Federal govt respects educational freedom, but it is challenged in some states by

practicing religion in school

● Right to peaceful assembly and association, generally respected

● Workers have the right to form and join trade unions, engage in collective

bargaining, and conduct strikes.

● Granted judicial rights, but political interference, corruption, and lack of funding

● Discriminate against LGBT

EnvironmentOil Spills:

● Niger Delta is one of the most polluted places in the world

○ 200,000 gallons of oil spilled in Niger Delta every year

○ 70% of Niger Delta residents rely on natural resources for their occupation (ex: fishermen and

farmers)

○ UN Environmental Program estimated $1 billion would be needed to fund “the largest oil clean-up

in history”

Desertification:

● specifically a problem in the north, losing 0.6 km of land each year

○ made worse by extensive irrigation

Environment

Population & Migration● 173.6 million total population

● Largest in Africa

● over 250 ethnic groups

● Thousands of Nigerians seek asylum and refuge and are driven out by poverty and

ethnic and religious conflicts (especially in the North)

● Nigeria is also others place of refuge. In January of 2009 10,100 Africans

(ECOWAS and not) came to Nigeria.

● The US State Department's 2010 human trafficking report identified Nigeria as a

source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the

purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation.

Terrorism● Boko Haram is a militant Islamic group fighting to create an Islamic state

● Attack schools, especially in the North

● Target civilians and military

● Bombing churches, bus ranks, bars, military barracks, police & UN Headquarters

● Abducted 200 girls from school in Chibok town to treat as slaves and marry off

● Group has been weakened so it cannot hold any territory

● Since then, there have been attacks in Adamawa, Yobe, Kano, Cameroon, Chad, &

Niger

●

Corruption● corruption usually caused by mismanagement of vast wealth

accumulated from the oil industry

○ in the past, over $16 billion “disappeared” under the Shagari regime (1979-1983)

○ in October of this year, $700 million in cash was found in the house of Nigeria’s Petroleum

Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke

● prebendalism and “loyalty pyramids” are also another major source of corruption

○ rewarded those who were loyal to a particular party and ethnicity with government jobs or money

○ created hierarchy in government

● Buhari is attempting to stop corruption (legitimacy or good intentions?)

○ vowed to recover stolen funds from previous regimes and stop corruption

○ supports anti-corruption agencies (EFCC, ICPC) expected to double the budget for these agencies

CPI: 27/100 (136th out of 175 countries)

Current Major Issues● Corruption, poor management of funds, political instability and poor governance

continue to tear Nigeria apart and it is ranked the most corrupt country in Africa.

● Boko Haram

● There are an estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths per

year in Nigeria. This compares with 215,000 deaths per year in Nigeria from

HIV/AIDS.

● major coinciding cleavages

Major Events Since 1990★ 1992: Census shows Nigeria is most populous country in Africa

★ June 1993: Abiola wins presidential elections, but Babangida annuls the election

★ August 1993: Babangida gives Shonekan interim civilian presidency, until new elections

★ November 1993: Defense Minister General Sani Abacha gains power through coup

★ 1994: Pro-democracy strikes by major oil union NUPENG, cut oil production by 25%

★ May 1996: Nigeria’s first president dies, Azikiwe

★ 1996: Nigeria wins gold medal in soccer at Olympics in Atlanta

★ June 1998: Abacha dies, General Abubakar takes over. He releases political prisoners

★ 1998: Release draft of new constitution

★ May 1999: New constitution released, based on 1979 constitution

★ November 1999: Zamfara state institutes the sharia law criminal code

★ 1999: Obasanjo and PDP sweep presidential elections and National Assembly (first civilian transfer of power)

★ August 2002: National Assembly begins impeachment against Obasanjo over budgetary issues

★ May 2006: Obasanjo tries to amend constitution for a third term

★ May 2010: President Yar’Adua dies in office, so Goodluck Jonathan assumes presidency

★ April 2011: Jonathan wins presidential election

★ 2011: Boko Haram reemerges in northeast, attacks UN headquarters

★ 2013: 4 main opposition parties form APC (All Progressives Congress)

★ 2014: Boko Haram kidnapped over 200 girls to treat as slaves and marry off

★ May 2015: Muhammadu Buhari sworn into presidency

ComparisonsTo AP 6:

● Russia: both have a constitutional federal government that acts more unitary, CPI: 27

● Iran: large amounts of corruption in government (election fraud in Iran and embezzlement

in Nigeria), both also have young populations, rentier state (heavy reliance of oil export to

foreign countries)

To Non-AP 6:

● Qatar: heavy economic reliance on oil, and have one of the fastest growing economies in the

world

● Democratic Republic of Congo: extremely factionalized 200+ ethnicities within borders, still

facing developmental problems from European colonization

In the Future...● Boko Haram could potentially gain power

● Civil War between the North and South (Islam v. Christianity) or caused by the

250 plus ethnicities contributing to coinciding cleavages

● Ethnic groups attempting to form their own independent nations. This would

only happen if here was some sort of deal that enabled the north to benefit from

the prospering oil sector.

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Boston: Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.

"Major Problems Facing Nigeria Today." Africa and The World. AfricaW.com, 1 May 2014. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

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"Nigeria." Freedom House. Freedom House, 2015. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

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Implementation in Nigeria: Connecting the Nexus Vol. 3 (November 6 3013): 56-64. Pak Academic Search. 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

Uzochukwu, Mike. "What Are The Problems Facing Nigeria Today?" Nigerian Observer. Bendal Newspapers Company Limited, 9 May 2015.

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