Understanding Modern Nigeria: Ethnicity, Democracy, and Development

Nigeria is Africa's second-largest economy and a major oil producer, but it faces deep divisions among its 250 ethnic groups. This book provides an accessible introduction to Nigeria's history and events, focusing on ethnicity, democracy, and governance. It explores how British colonialism led to competition for resources and power, the choice of federalism as a political system, and religious and political pluralism. Falola offers insights and recommendations for the future of policy and intervention in the country.

Format: Hardback
Length: 500 pages
Publication date: 24 June 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has emerged as Africa's second-largest economy and one of the world's top oil producers. Despite its economic success, however, deep divisions exist among its two hundred and fifty ethnic groups. This accessible and comprehensive introduction to Nigeria's history and events explores three dominant themes: ethnicity, democracy, and governance. World-renowned expert in Nigerian history, Toyin Falola, delves into how the British laid the foundations of modern Nigeria, including colonialism, resource competition, and the widening cleavages between the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo ethnic groups. He also discusses the choice of federalism as a political system, religious and political pluralism, and the outcomes of this history, such as hunger, violence, poverty, human rights violations, threats of secession, and corruption. Falola offers insights and recommendations for the future of policy and the potential for intervention in the country.

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has emerged as Africa's second-largest economy and one of the world's top oil producers. Despite its economic success, however, deep divisions exist among its two hundred and fifty ethnic groups. This accessible and comprehensive introduction to Nigeria's history and events explores three dominant themes: ethnicity, democracy, and governance. World-renowned expert in Nigerian history, Toyin Falola, delves into how the British laid the foundations of modern Nigeria, including colonialism, resource competition, and the widening cleavages between the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo ethnic groups. He also discusses the choice of federalism as a political system, religious and political pluralism, and the outcomes of this history, such as hunger, violence, poverty, human rights violations, threats of secession, and corruption. Falola offers insights and recommendations for the future of policy and the potential for intervention in the country.

Weight: 1090g
Dimension: 235 x 159 x 41 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108837972