This title was first published in 2003.Wolfgang Stolper was one of the first Western economists to serve as an adviser in the government of an independent African country. In 1960 he was brought in by the Nigerian government to help shape Nigeria’s first post-independence development plan. His remarkably candid diaries chronicle his struggles and frustrations with officials, interference, waste and corruption at the heart of a government and unfolds the extraordinary story of his warmth and friendship with a country and its people. Brutally frank, compelling and disarmingly thoughtful, Inside Independent Nigeria brings to light one of the most exceptional documents on post-independence Nigeria, and delivers a fascinating picture of a pivotal era in the development of Western economic planning in Africa. No student or researcher of African political history, economics or development studies will want to be without this utterly riveting book.

The electoral process has been an integral part of the political landscape of independent Africa for more than a quarter-century and has roots going back to traditional African societies. An examination of the independence period demonstrates the rich diversity of forms, experiences, and meanings of elections in Africa. For some observers, elections are a clear example of multiple failures in Africa-the failure of democracy and institutional transfer and the breakdown of much of the African political process in general. The authors of this book argue that elections in Africa have played a much more significant role than has commonly been recognized; that in spite of problems, elections are an important part of African contemporary political life. It has been too easy to dismiss elections in Africa as irrelevant because there are fewer today than there were two decades ago or because they have frequently failed to conform to democratic norms. However, in a period in which the primary trends of government are toward exclusion, African elections provide one of the few instruments of political action open to civil society. This study of the electoral process suggests a number of themes and conclusions about the relationship of the electoral process to state power and institutions, elite competition, mass participation, legitimacy and its limits, ethnic conflict, mobilization, party competition, authoritarian regimes, the growing incidence of electoral violence, and mass support for democratic values. Fred M. Hayward's substantive introduction discusses the electoral process in general. Eight case studies of key African countries then illustrate the varied meanings and implications of elections in independent Africa, and in the final chapter Hayward draws conclusions about the role and impact of elections. It is clear that although electoral processes have demonstrated a certain fragility, both the form and the process have shown remarkable resilience.

Since 1982, Nigeria has experienced more than ten large scale ethnic or religious riots in its major cities. These violent clashes have wreaked economic, political, and social havoc; caused an enormous number of deaths and injuries; and posed serious obstacles to Nigeria's sociopolitical development as well as retarded efforts at nation-building. The papers collected in this book serve as a critical part of an overall objective to develop and promote mechanisms for the understanding and resolution of ethnic and religious conflicts in Nigeria. Both academic and community leaders address various aspects of these conflicts, and Uwazie offers several thoughtful options for their successful resolution. Inter-Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution in Nigeria will interest students of African history and current affairs, scholars of anthropology and ethnicity studies, and those involved in international relations and peace studies.

One of the striking features of the changed demography of world Christianity has been the emergence and growth of the African Instituted Churches (AICs). This book is therefore provided for those who desire to study the African initiatives in Christianity. The book is intended to serve as a valuable material to teachers and students of African Instituted Churches. The customs, culture and traditions of the African or any other peoples of the world are to serve as beautiful compliments to the Christian faith and belief, and not diametrically opposed to it.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.

Despite being Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, with abundant natural resources, Nigeria still faces substantial development challenges. This book argues that corruption lies at the heart of many of the country’s problems. Drawing on a range of different disciplinary perspectives, this volume explores the relationship between corruption and development, investigating the causes, contexts, and consequences of corruption, and the pathways for addressing it. As well as covering the wider background and theory surrounding corruption in the country, the book will investigate different sectors: the media, the judiciary, the health sector, industry, the criminal justice system, and of course politics and governance. The book concludes by considering attitudes and perceptions to corruption within Nigeria, current approaches to countering corruption, and future pathways to addressing the problem. This book’s critical investigation of the links between corruption and development in Nigeria will be of interest to researchers of corruption, development and African Studies, as well as to policy makers, practitioners, and local stakeholders.

This book deconstructs the neopatrimonial paradigm that has dominated analysis of Nigerian and African development. It shows that by denying agency to Nigerian societies and devaluing indigenous culture and local realities, Eurocentric diffusionism played a significant role in the failure of development planning.

These essays attempt to focus the light of history,on Nigeria, Nigerians and their contemporary,condition. The root idea here is that fundamental,to all historical works - that when the mind,interacts with the past, the result is something,like a torchlight whose beam is focused on the,present, thus enabling us to achieve a better,understanding of the problems which face us.,Afigbo has probed deep into Nigeria's pastbringing out all the facets, all the elements and,all the issues that are necessary to improve the,present.

This book compares the social processes that explain Japanese development, beginning with the Meiji Restoration in 1868, with similar processes in post-independent Nigeria in its effort to achieve capitalist development. Before the Restoration and independence, both Japan and Nigeria lacked any prospects for further development. Japan, however, pursued fundamental social transformations of society leading to capitalist development, whereas Nigeria, following independence, has lacked any transforming ideals resulting in underdevelopment and social stagnation.