Historical Roots of Nigeria Governance: Colonial Rule to Today
John Ifediora Nigeria’s governance challenges are rooted in a political structure shaped by colonial unification, contested transitions and repeated military intervention. The historical roots of Nigeria’s governance can be traced from the British amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria in January 1914 to independence on October 1, 1960, and the coups that disrupted civilian […]
Economics and Good Governance: How Institutions Shape Growth
John O. Ifediora Economic growth depends not only on markets but also on the institutions that shape public decisions. The connection between economics and good governance is practical: transparent rules, accountable public authorities, and predictable institutions can support investment, fair competition, and the effective use of public resources. Capital, productivity, and trade are important when […]
The Death of A Nation: Nigeria failed because it forgot why it was created
John O. Ifediora President, Council on African Security and Development A purposive thought of a united Nigeria necessarily engages an Orwellian DoubleThink, the conscious effort to hold two completely contradictory positions at once on an issue, and simultaneously believing in both. The nation-state of Nigeria was never designed to succeed as an organic entity […]
Religion As a Source of Social Neurosis in Times of Collective Stress
John O. Ifediora. In all nations, the quality and relevance of countervailing social institutions matter. That this is the case is particularly of import since institutions are rules that govern individual and collective behavior in any society. In this regard reference is here made to primary and enabling rules and observances that inform and […]
Oil Rents, Regime Type, and the Path to Development in Nigeria: A Reassessment
Revised edition, incorporating data through mid-2026 John O. Ifediora Abstract If country-level data and the statistical analysis built upon them are tolerable surrogates for what they purport to represent, then figures from the World Bank indicate that Nigeria’s economic performance since independence in 1960 has, by any reasonable standard, been disappointing — and that the […]
The Effects of Bureaucratic Corruption on Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
John O. Ifediora Abstract The economic impact of bureaucratic corruption on development is examined within the framework of an industrial organizational model of oligopoly. It is argued that the deleterious effects of corruption arise primarily from its distortionary influence on socioeconomic decision-making, and that these effects are rendered more pronounced by diminishing levels of […]