Nigeria and the Nation-State: Rethinking Diplomacy with the Postcolonial World (A Council on Foreign Relations Book) - Hardcover

John Campbell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1538113759 ISBN 13: 9781538113752

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021

Synopsis

Nigeria matters. It is the largest African economy, projected to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050, with its democratic aspirations are challenged by rising insecurity. It is also misunderstood. Leading expert John Campbell traces the mistakes and misunderstandings of British colonial rule that forced a territory with hundreds of distinct languages, ethnic groups, and religions, no history of political unity, and no history even of similar political organization, into a single unit. After Nigerian independence in 1960,

a civil war that cost the lives of one million Nigerians ended in a generation of military rule that ended only in 1999. When the military finally returned to their barracks, what was left? It was not―and never had been―a nation-state like those of Europe. It is still not quite a nation because Nigerians are not yet united by language, religion, culture, or a common national story. It is not quite a state because the government is weak and getting weaker, beset by Boko Haram in the northeast, intercommunal violence across the middle of the country, an insurrection in the Niger Delta, and a country-wide crime wave.



Instead, it is something the author calls a prebendal-archipelago. It is prebendal because Nigeria’s political leaders take public money for private purposes. Not only is this corruption on a massive scale, it is also what keeps a fragile state from ultimately falling apart. The competing elites who ultimately benefit also cooperate to keep those benefits coming. Much of that public money is fueled by revenue from Nigeria’s state-owned oil. The oil-heavy focus of the government has stymied the development of other sectors. It is an archipelago because the state cannot be said to actually have control over much of its territory.



This deeply knowledgeable book is an antidote to those who would make the mistakes of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, mistakes based on misunderstanding, in Nigeria. Up to now, such mistakes have largely been avoided, but Nigeria will soon―and Campbell argues already does―require much greater attention by the West. \

About this title

About the Author

John Campbell is former Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Research at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink and Morning in South Africa, and co-author of Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know. From 1975 to 2007, Campbell served as a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service officer. He served twice in Nigeria, as political counselor from 1988 to 1990, and as ambassador from 2004 to 2007. Campbell’s additional overseas postings include Lyon, Paris, Geneva, and Pretoria. He also served as deputy assistant secretary for human resources, dean of the Foreign Service Institute’s School of Language Studies, and director of the Office of UN Political Affairs.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1538113759
• ISBN 13: 9781538113752
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312