State Fragility, State Formation, and Human Security in Nigeria

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. State Fragility, State Formation, and Human Security in Nigeria: Introduction, Concepts, and Questions

   • Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké Okome

   Pages 1-32

3. State and Civil Society in Nigeria in the Era of Structural Adjustment Program, 1986–1993

   • Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké Okome

   Pages 33-57

4. “Civil” or “Uncivil” Society? Revisiting the Proliferation of Ethnic Organizations in Southern Nigeria

   • Adedayo Oluwakayode Adekson

   Pages 59-86

5. From “Area-Boyism” to “Junctions and Bases”: Youth Social Formation and the Micro Structures of Violence in Lagos Island

   • Olawale Ismail

   Pages 87-109

6. State Failure and Niger Delta Conflict

   • Ben Naanen, Kialee Nyiayaana

   Pages 111-145

7. Anatomy of Conflicts in Northern Nigeria

   • C. Nna-Emeka Okereke

   Pages 147-187

8. Social Obligations of the Church in a Failed Nigerian State

   • Dapo F. Asaju, Harriet Seun Dapo-Asaju

   Pages 189-204

9. The Role of the Christian Church in Building Civil Society in Nigeria

   • Rotimi Williams Omotoye, Elisabeth DeCampos

   Pages 205-220

10. An Assessment of Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding Capabilities in Nigeria: Reflections of a Practitioner

    • Ayokunle Fagbemi

    Pages 221-247

11. Back Matter

    Pages 249-259

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Since the 1990s, attempts at democratic transition have generated hopes for 'civil society' as well as ambivalence about the state. The interdisciplinary studies gathered here explore this dynamic through the complex interactions of state fragility, self-help, and self-organization in Nigeria. Nigeria stands as a particularly interesting case, as its multifaceted associational life extends far beyond civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs): as this volume reveals, there is a 'third sector' of Nigerian society encompassing everything from community self-help programs to ethno-religious affiliations to militias. Some of these formations have narrow, pragmatic aims, while others have an explicit socio-cultural or political agenda; most can be understood as compensating for the state's failure to deliver services and maintain regulatory frameworks. By examining the emergence of broader forms of civil society, this volume considers their successes while also assessing their costs and contradictions.

• conflict
• society
• transformation
• violence
• development policy

'Perceptive and insightful analyses of society's reaction to the structural imbalance of the Nigerian nation-state. Written by astute analysts of Nigerian studies, the chapters contained in this volume are engaging and timely - an important contribution to the study of the Nigerian state and society.' - Olufemi Vaughan, Geoffrey Canada Professor of Africana Studies & History, Bowdoin College, USA

'This fresh perspective on Nigeria's irrepressible socio-political terrain refashions our discourse on the African state, with a crisp but intimately informed exploration of spaces where citizens encounter the fragile state. The authors eschew the hackneyed focus on orthodox nongovernmental organizations, and therefore successfully capture a vibrant landscape of associational formations that are vitally present in everyday life, but neglected in the literature. These self-help organizations, rooted in contexts of region, ethnicity, religion, age, and class are not cast as the new democratic panacea, but they satisfactorily defy notions of citizen passivity and reflect alternative loci for collective voice and critical social action. Okome has provided scholars and practitioners with a provocative framework for understanding and debating the political future.' - Peyi Soyinka-Airewele, Associate Professor of International Politics, Ithaca College, USA

Mike Adeyeye, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria Olufemi Akinola, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria Dapo F. Asaju, Lagos State University, Nigeria Harriet S. Asaju, Lagos State University, Nigeria Ayokunle Fagbemi, Center for Peacebuilding and Socio-Economic Resources Development (CePSERD), Nigeria Axel Harneit-Sievers, Heinrich Böll Foundation Olawale Ismail, King's College, London, UK Ben Naanen, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Fatai A. Olasupo, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria Ayo Olukotun, University of Lagos, Nigeria Adedayo Oluwakayode Adekson, The Great Lakes Colleges Association

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