Think… “It’s all about the cleavages” System of Government: Presidential System Distribution of Power: Federal System Electoral System: Single.

Nigeria

Think… “It’s all about the cleavages”

Overview: The Big Picture

System of Government: Presidential System Distribution of Power: Federal System Electoral System: Single Member District

Plurality Constitution: Constitution of 1999 Legislature: Bicameral—Senate and House of

Rep. Current Head of State: President Muhammadu

Buhari Head of Government: President Muhammadu

Buhari Current Ruling Party: All Progressives Congress Major Political Parties: People’s Democratic Party

(PDP) All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Action Congress (AC)

No Cross Cutting Cleavages◦Ethnic, Regional, and Religious Coincide…

yikes! No National Identity! Nigeria is only 50 years old Country created because of colonialism Parliamentary system failed…why? Presidential system is working…why?

Big Ideas to Keep in Your Head !

Nigeria is a megastate Its importance is derived from its large population, oil reserves, and centrality to the study of Africa

Nigeria embodies the much of the variety of African political experience.

Why Study Nigeria?

Why Study Nigeria? Nigeria embodies of the variety of African political experience.◦varied heritage

◦colonial rule

◦Achievement of independence

◦Political parties = ethnic cleavages

◦Social welfare state/responsibility

◦Pattern of violence and military dominance

Provides useful insights into the challenges of developing nations

Major challenges facing Nigeria◦Maintaining the balance of civil/military

relations

◦Managing ethnic diversity

◦Transitioning from autocratic/military rule to democracy

◦Exploiting natural resources for public good

◦Determining role of religion in politics

Why Study Nigeria?

Ethnicity Region Religion

Hausa-Fulani North Muslim

Yoruba Central (West) Both

Igbo South (East Christian

Cleavages

Political Culture and Subculture

Ethnic Identity◦ Hausa-Fulani

Mostly northern half of Nigeria Predominately Muslim Legacy of emirates Indirect colonial rule Subsistence farming, rural, generally undeveloped villages

◦ Yoruba Southwestern Nigeria Lagos—former capital Oba and lineage chiefs and the British Fragmenting effect of multiple ethnic identities

◦ Igbo (lbo) Southeastern part of Nigeria—OIL RICH REGION (tried to secede) Predominantly Christian. Responsive to western culture—Western educated Developed for market agriculture

The importance of ethnicity, religion, and region in the political life of Nigerians cannot be underestimated.

Most contentious political issues influence and/or are influenced by these three identities.

Biafran Civil War 1967-1970◦Explicit ethnic overtones

◦Eastern Igbo attempted to secede from the country

NO CROSS-CUTTING CLEAVAGES!

Cleavages

Political Culture: Modern political culture characterized by ethnic diversity and conflict, corruption, and politically active military◦Patron-Clientelism (prebendalism)◦State control yet rich civil society◦Tension between modernity and tradition◦Religious conflict◦Ethnic diversity◦Geographic influences

Political Culture and Subculture

Nigerian Nationalism◦Three major sources Freed slaves from N.A. others of African

descent from the Caribbean Nigerians who fought for the British in

WWII Frustration with lack of recognition for service

Nigerians who studied in U.K. and U.S. Today: comes from military

Political Culture and Subculture

Democratic Norms and Values◦Alternated between democratic and

military rule

◦Had both parliamentary and presidential system

◦Maintaining stable democracy is challenge

Political Culture and Subculture

Democratic Norms and Values◦Cycle of Rule:

1. Democracy

2. Military rule with promise to return to democracy

3. Majority party would pass policies very easily and “funnel” resources of the state to its own ethnic group.

◦ The Presidential system has been somewhat more successful b/c of separation of powers

Political Culture and Subculture

Political Role of Women◦Position of women varies immensely

◦Igbo and Yoruba allow women to hold jobs and elected office.

◦Hausa-Fulani restrict role of women (Islam) and have low rates of literacy and education and jobs

◦In general Nigerian women vote in similar numbers as men but are underrepresented in government.

Public Policy Challenges

◦Ethnic/Religious Tensions◦Civil/Military Relations◦Regional Instability◦Corruption◦Financial transparency◦Poverty alleviation◦Quality health care◦Education◦Oil extraction◦HIV/AIDS

Current Policy Challenges Key Transition Year of1999:

◦ Nigeria returned to formal civilian rule when Olusegun Obasanjo was elected president.

Test of Current Government: ◦ How can a potentially wealthy country fail to

provide basic human needs, education, potable water, reliable transportation and communications, and engage in politics without corruption?

$ 1B a week from oil…. Yet Still ranked as one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world

Environmental Potential and Limitations

Disease◦ Malaria is a disease that affects most Nigerians

◦ HIV/AIDS: Pull on economy Population Growth

◦ 45% of Nigeria is under 15 years of age.

◦ Children considered a valuable resource in agricultural societies

◦ Population is growing rapidly = negative impact on econimic growth

◦ Shifting from rural to urban = smaller portion of labor force available for food production = drop in food production per capita

Environmental Potential and Limitations

Urbanization◦ Quickly becoming urban society◦ Urban infrastructure is strained as a result

Petroleum◦ The curse of oil!◦ Nigeria has relied on oil to finance imports and large scale

development projects, thus fluctuations in markets control the ability of Nigeria to pay its debts

◦ This has caused high rates of inflation◦ The location of the oil and the distribution of benefits have

had political consequences, most notably in Biafra◦ Biafra

Igbo population frustrated with central government for not distributing a greater share of oil wealth-thus their attempt to secede

Oil was main cause for Biafran Civil War 1967-1970

Environmental Potential and Limitations

Dist. Natural resources: Political Effects◦ Eastern region of country holds oil reserves◦ National government view: national resource◦ Eastern citizens (Igbo) have yet reap full benefits of their

treasure◦ Individuals who own oil in east tend to be non-Igbo

minorities◦ Environmental degradation: east pays price while handing

over most of the benefits.◦ MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta)

The International Environment◦ Biggest problem: debt it owes Western creditors◦ Government spends a high percentage of national budget

repaying debt—at the expense of social programs.

Political Recruitment

Northerners have dominated the leadership of the country under military and civilian rule.

Military power◦ Educated Igbo's have held leadership positions

Civil service No recruitment of “strangers” Federal character of appointments of

military personnel Ethnic politics still dominate

Political Structure◦Constitution of 1999

Calls for independently elected president Dual chamber of national assembly at the federal

level 3 Senators from each of 36 states, plus one from

Abuja Representatives determined by population All legislators elected to four year terms

◦KEY POINT! Nigerian pluralism; lack of trust by subcultures No institutional structure can overcome this

roadblock.

Executive branch of government has been the most powerful

Current system is a federal system closely modeled after the U.S. presidential system

Political Institutions

Executive Branch Popularly elected to four-year term with maximum of

two terms Head of Government Commander-in-Chief of armed forces Head of State Appoints government ministers (confirmed by

Senate)—must come from all 36 states President and ministers not allowed to serve in

National Assembly

National Assembly◦ Bicameral with Senate and House of

Representatives

◦ Popularly Elected

◦ All bills must pass both houses and be signed by President

◦ Senate 109 members: 3 from each state and one from

Abuja

◦ House of Representatives 360 members

Legislative Branch

Political Structure◦Judiciary: Constitution of 1999 Supreme Court Court of Appeal State and Federal High Courts Ten northern states maintain shari’a law courts

Overlapping system of judiciary has caused conflict

Governor who is popularly elected State House of Assembly

◦Unicameral

◦Comprised of popularly elected representatives from local government areas

State Government

The Military You cannot study Nigerian politics without recognizing the importance of the military in all aspects of political life.

Well disciplined, organized, with the ability to make decisions efficiently and effectively

One of only sources of national unity

The Bureaucracy As with many “developing nations”, the

bureaucracy has been the source of employment for large numbers of people not engaged in trade or agriculture.

Major corruption, lack of accountability, and massive cash from oil production.

The Parties People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

◦ Hausa-Fulani and North◦ Obasanjo and Umar Musa Yar’adua

All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) 2003◦ Formally the All People’s Party APP 1999◦ Igbo and East/Southeast◦ Main opposition party

Action Congress (AC)◦ Yoruba and West/Southwest

Parties and Elections (History)

1975 Elections controlled by Federal Elections Commission (FEDECO)

All parties must register with FEDECO

“Federal Character” of parties

Parties had to have at least two-thirds of all states to be able to run candidates

Obasanjo was elected under this system PDP◦ PDP: People’s Democratic Party◦ As a northerner and a Hausa, he is a Christian and his

candidacy received broad popular support

Great range in activity◦Voting

◦Civil war

◦Violence; thugs Without census data hard to assess Mobilization of patron-client networks key to victory

Political Participation

Policy Formation and Implementation

Standard of living has not improved in recent years

Oil revenue has had little impact on GDP Nigeria spends large portion of budget on

military Increased number of children in schools Poor performance on providing basic health care Income gap between rich and poor increased “national cake”: Federal gov. spends between

two-thirds three fourths

Policy Formation and Implementation

Dealing with Debt◦ Borrowed heavily from foreign banks in 1970s◦ High interested caused debt trap◦ World Bank and IMF restructured much of the

debt◦ Spending to repay debt highest item in annual

budget◦ The problem of how to deal with debt is one of

highest items of priority

Policy Formation and Implementation

The Census Issue◦ Major source of political conflict!...that’s right

counting people◦ More People = More Federal Money◦ This is because each ethnic group fears that the

count will inaccurately reflect larger opposing groups and that the state’s resources will be directed accordingly

◦ Also, in a country where federal subsidies make up the lion’s share of budgetary allocations at all levels, the distribution of population directly effects the distribution of resources.

Oil crisis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5uB9Ml89G0 Crisis in Nigeria ( oil) http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWfviODbMJ8 Havoc in Nigeria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zalqYjcjA2Y Riots and Religion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2zbsEesKx8

Nigeria Videos