Nigeria’s Development in Comparative Perspective Nigeria was relatively backward in the 19th Century. Nigeria has not succeeded in “catch-up” development.

Developmental Outcomes in Nigeria Poor  GDP per cap $1,150  Fully 45% of population lives below poverty line  Only 57% of population 15+ years can read/write  HDI rank 159 Only “partly free”  Recent elections marred by violence, fraud; highly contested  Historically, frequently alternations between authoritarianism and democracy

Africa Faced Threat from the “West” 19 th Century “Scramble for Africa” Berlin Conference

Nigeria Faced Threat from the “West” British Colonialism Nigeria formally created as colony in 1914  Artificial construct created by British  Forced together distinct ethnic/political entities State ≠ nation

Nigeria Faced Threat from the “West” Motivations for colonial conquest  Riches Natural resources Including agricultural commodities, later oil  Outlet for investment  New markets 1897 British soldiers loot art

British Colonialism British in Nigeria  Exercise control Rulers not accountability to Nigerian people Indirect rule through ties to particular local elites

British Colonialism British in Nigeria  Extract resources Cocoa, palm oil, rubber

British Colonialism Dominant role for state in economy  Colonial state control over export commodities State marketing boards Monopsony—single buyer Artificially low prices for farmers  ~50% of world market price

British Colonialism British in Nigeria  Develop unequally British penetration in south  Lagos—port city where commodities shipped to Britain  Economic opportunities for southerners Resentment by northerners (Hausa- Fulani) Elite boy’s school, King's College Lagos in 1910

Explaining Developmental Outcomes in Nigeria Dependency  Colonialism—under British  Neo-colonialism—role of MNCs, like Shell Oil, others Statism  Predatory state institutions Corruption Massive use of state offices for personal gain Modernization theory  Traditional values Reliance on ascriptive characteristics  Lack of “civic culture” values and attitudes?

Next topics in Nigerian case Legacies of British Colonialism  Politicization of ethnicity  Dominant role for state in the economy Politics and economy in contemporary Nigeria  Failed attempts to overcome politicization of ethnicity through institutional design  Overwhelming dependence on oil

Today: Interview with Chinua Achebe (Ibo) Look for themes related to  Dependency Colonialism (How does Achebe portray colonial experience)  Anti-democratic  Exploitative  Modernization Values (How does Achebe portray traditional values)  Pluralism, tolerance  Statism Nature of state institutions (How does Achebe portray them)  Corruption of state institutions in post-independence era

Only as a teenager, after reading Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart" and realizing her people's own stories were worth telling, did she begin describing the world she knew. Against the backdrop of a corrupt, crumbling state and society, religious fundamentalism plays out against the animist practices of tribal elders. Published 2003