“Africa: The Case of Nigeria”

By

Mr. John Claude M. Celeste

Mr. Jeremy Patrick D. Dela Cerna

Ms. Andrea Trixia C. Digal

Ms. Jeanne Melinda R. Dolores

Ms. Keana Angeli B. Donga

Mr. Rey Angelo M. Francisco

Ms. Paula Nicole P. Layos

PSCM 2133, 11:10 TTh

1st Semester, SY 2021-2021

Specific Objectives

Upon completion of this presentation, we will be able to:

● understand how a state approach the issue of development in Nigeria;
● study the history, structure and current issues regarding the government of Nigeria;
● understand how past events in state’s developmental path led to differences in long-term
outcomes in Nigeria;
● identify and explain political challenges, economic system and economic growth of
Nigeria;
● understand Nigeria’s difficult journey towards democracy;
● describe and explain the political economy and development in Nigeria;
● identify and explain political challenges and changing agendas in Nigeria; and
● understand the development of various systems of government in Nigeria.

Outline of Presentation
1. Introduction of the members, topic, and the objectives
2. Visual presentation of the chosen country, Nigeria
3. Tackling of each subject of the Material Facts regarding the chosen country
4. The discussion of the Article Review regarding the reading materials
5. Closing the presentation with the references and citations used

Material Facts
1. Nigeria’s Leader
Muhammadu Buhari, Muhammadu also spelled Muhammad, was born on December 17,
1942, in Daura, Nigeria. He was a Nigerian military leader and politician who served as Nigeria's
head of state in 1984–85 and was democratically elected President in 2015 until today.
In 2003 Buhari ran for President and was defeated by the incumbent, Olusegun
Obasanjo of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari ran again in 2007 but was defeated
by the PDP's candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua, in an election that international observers strongly
criticized as being marred by voting irregularities. Buhari also stood in the 2011 presidential
election, praised for largely being transparent, free, and fair, but he again lost to the PDP's
candidate, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) party nominated Buhari to stand as its
candidate in the 2015 presidential election. His reputation for being incorruptible and his military
background made him an attractive candidate. Many Nigerians hoped that he might effectively
handle the threat posed by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, whose violent acts had
terrorized parts of the country in recent years. The March 28 presidential election had 14
candidates, although the real contest was between Buhari and Jonathan. In Nigeria's most
closely fought election ever, Buhari garnered the most votes. He garnered 2.5 million more than
Jonathan, his closest competitor, and was declared the winner. His win marked the first time that
the incumbent President had been defeated in Nigeria. Buhari was inaugurated on May 29,
2015.
Throughout this period, Buhari's health and his ability to lead Nigeria were called into
question after he repeatedly went abroad for health care. In 2017 alone, he left the country
multiple times to treat an undisclosed medical ailment; that year, he was absent more than five
months altogether, during which time his vice president was in charge. The lack of transparency
regarding Buhari's health and his extended absences led to rumors that he had died and been
replaced by a body double. Buhari and his administration dismissed the concerns about his
health, and he was named the APC candidate for the February 2019 presidential election.
Buhari faced more than 70 challengers in the election, which was originally scheduled to be held
on February 16 but was delayed at the last minute until February 23. He emerged victorious,
winning reelection with some 56 percent of the vote.

2. Nigeria’s Government
The Federal Republic of Nigeria has had nine constitutions throughout its history. Their
current Constitution was ratified on the 29th of May 1999 and restored the country’s democratic
power. Modeled after the U.S. Constitution, it provides for separation of powers among a strong
executive, an elected legislature, and an independent judiciary (Nigeria Embassy Germany
Org., n.d). As of this date, there are two amendments in their Constitution that were made in
January 2011. The Constitution consists of 320 articles divided into 8 Chapters: General
Provisions (I); Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy (II); Citizenship
(III); Fundamental Rights (IV); The Legislature (V); The Executive (VI); The Judicature (VII);
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and General Supplementary Provisions (VIII). It is completed by
7 Schedules (FAO.org, n.d).
According to the 1989 Decree, there shall be a local government guaranteeing the
operation, composition, and finance of as well as the functions to be transitionally performed by
the democratically elected Local Governments as the third tier of Government. The State
government shall confer powers, functions and duties to be performed during the transition
period by the democratically elected civilian Governor of each State, the House of Assembly
and their relationship with the Federal Military Government. Nigeria is divided administratively
into the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) and 36 states, which are organized into the following
six zones: South–West Zone—Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Oshun, and Oyo; South–South
Zone—Akwa, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ibom, and Rivers; South–East Zone—Abia,
Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo; North–West Zone—Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi,
Sokoto, and Zamfara; North–Central Zone—Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, and
Plateau; and North–East Zone—Adamawa, Bauchi, Bornue, Gomber, Taraba, and Yobe (Pike,
n.d). Lastly, a Federal Government that caters for other matters affecting the Government of the
Federation during the transition period and its relationship with the States and Local
Government Areas.
The country has three branches, namely: The Federal Executive, the Legislature, and
the Judiciary. According to Agu (2021), The Federal Executive level is headed by the President.
The President takes this position for four years after the nationwide election. The person seated
is the head of state and the leading commander of the army. The President is tasked to approve
the laws. The President’s Federal Executive Council consists of a representative from the
country’s 36 states. They are in charge of the government-owned corporations and are tasked
to provide services to their citizens. On the other hand, the Vice President replaces the
President in case of various circumstances like resignation and death.
The National Assembly represents the Legislature. The upper chamber is the Senate
that consists of 109 elected senators. Three senators represent each of Nigeria’s 36 states, and
one additional senator represents the capital city of Abuja (Pike, n.d). The lower chamber is the
House of Representatives that consists of 360 members. Representatives are distributed
according to the population. Thus, resulting in the variation of the numbers of the members in
the House. The elected members of the National Assembly are eligible for two four-year terms.
Their primary purpose is to make and pass laws for the country. The Legislature possesses
supremacy and independence in establishing the legal principles of state and public life (Agu,
2021).
The Judiciary is the most regarded and acclaimed branch of the Federal State of Nigeria.
The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Federal High Court,
and, at the state level, high courts, sharia courts, and customary courts (Pike, n.d).The Supreme
Court of Nigeria consists of 16 justices and is headed by the Chief Justice. It is the final court of
appeal. It has jurisdiction over disputes between the states or between the federal government
and many states, particularly concerning allocating funds or resources and over disputes arising
from elections (Commonwealth Governance Org., n.d). The Judiciary is also regarded as the
guardian of the 1999 Constitution. They are also tasked to investigate the powers of the
executive and legislative branches.

3. Nigeria’s Type of Government

Type of government: The Nigerian Federal Government is divided into three branches:
legislative, executive, and judicial. The National Assembly, the President, and federal courts,
including the Supreme Court, are all given powers by the Nigerian Constitution. The Constitution
establishes a division of powers and a balance of powers among the three branches of
government, with the goal of preventing the government from repeating past mistakes.
Constitution: Adopted in the year 1999; Nigeria has been returned to democratic control.
Following independence from the United Kingdom, it is the country's fourth constitution.
Fundamental aims and directive principles of state policy; citizenship; fundamental rights; the
legislature; the system of government; and the federal capital territory, Abuja, as well as general
supplemental provisions are covered in the outline.
Main powers
Executive: Can summon the Senate or House of Representatives, form inquiry commissions,
organize a nationwide referendum, appoint ambassadors, and pardon or reprieve convicts.
Judicial: Highest court of Nigeria.
Legislative: The Senate has the unique right to impeach judges and high officials, as well as
ratify the president's nominees for senior diplomats, federal cabinet members, federal judicial
appointments, and independent federal commissions. Before a bill becomes law, it must be
approved by both the House and the Senate.
Electoral processes
Executive: Elected by qualified plurality vote
Judicial: Justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National
Judicial Council and are subject to confirmation by the Senate
Legislative: Senate members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies.
House of Representatives members are elected by plurality vote in single-member
constituencies
Election cycle
Executive: 4 years
Judicial: Mandatory retirement age of 70
Legislative: 4 years

4. History of Nigeria’s Government

The Nigerian government’s history can be traced back to its independence from the
British Empire on October 1, 1960. This was also the time when they joined the Commonwealth
of Nations (CON). They are currently recognized as The Federal Republic of Nigeria. The
country has a history of coups and government changes throughout its history. Its history shall
be discussed in length.
On February 11, 1961, the Northern Cameroons opted to join Nigeria via a plebiscite.
After two years, The First Republic of Nigeria was established on October 1, 1963. In hindsight,
Nigeria had everything it needed to be a proper democratic republic. It made its own federal
constitution that ensured a large autonomy for its regions, it had a parliamentary system that
was based on the British parliament, its constitution also had a bill of rights, and the government
functions on a multi-party system unlike its neighbouring African nations that rely one one-party
systems. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government capitulated to military rule after enduring a
coup d’état on January 15, 1966. After a year, a separatist movement formed the Republic of
Biafra, which led to a bloody three-year civil war.
By 1979, Nigeria managed to become a republic once more and wrote a new
constitution. While transitioning to the Second Republic, the leaders of the Nigerian military
were concerned if the mistakes of the First Republic were to occur once more. They believed
that some changes have to be made in terms of government structure and politics. Thus, the
transition was created to address key issues that were deemed divisive and harmful. This led to
the establishment of new political institutions, methods, etc. Aside from these changes, the
revenue allocation process was also altered based on the suggestion of a technical committee,
even though politicians rejected their suggestions. Furthermore, the local governments in the
country gained more power and autonomy due to the 1976 reforms. The new constitution was
spearheaded by a Constitution Drafting Committee in 1975, which was under the chairmanship
of Frederick Rotimi Williams, a prominent lawyer in the country. A Constituent Assembly was
also assembled in 1977 and it was filled with elected and appointed officials. They were tasked
with examining and ratifying the drafted constitution. After a series of ratifications, the final
constitution was implemented in 1979. Numerous political institutions like the Practices
Investigation Bureau, Code of Conduct Bureau, and Public Complaints Commission were
created. Political parties were eventually formed and general elections would eventually be held.
During the 1983 elections, two major political camps were vying for numerous positions.
These political parties were the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the Progressive Parties
Alliance, which was composed of the UPN, PRP, and the NPP parties. The NPN managed to
achieve landslide victories even in states that were considered strongholds of the opposing
parties. This led to severe political tensions which soon erupted to violence and the elections
being contested in court. Some of the electoral verdicts were rescinded since some of the courts
found evidence of electoral fraud. Due to the increasing violence, the military decided to
overthrow the Second Republic on December 31, 1983. This led to the Supreme Military
Council (SMC) becoming the ruling government body. During that time, the SMC was led by
Major General Muhammadu Buhari. But due to infighting, the Buhari government was soon
overthrown by General Ibrahim Babangida (SMC third ranking member) in August 1985. After
four years, another Constituent Assembly was made and it was tasked to create another
constitution. During the spring of 1989, political activities were once again permitted by the
ruling government. As usual, a transition program was well underway and it was spearheaded
by the military rulers of the country.
The SMC wanted civilian rule once more and to establish the Third Republic. Just like
the past admins, they wanted to prevent past mistakes from happening. However, in April 1990,
a number of mid to high-ranking officers tried to overthrow Babangida but ultimately failed.
Military tribunals were soon underway and it led to a substantial number of accused coup
conspirators, who were eventually executed. In December of 1990, the first stage of elections
was held at the local government level, which was then followed by gubernatorial and state
legislative elections by December 1991. Unlike the Second Republic’s controversial elections,
this was a relatively peaceful one. Voter turnout was considerably low but at least there wasn’t
any violence. The problem here though is that Babangida canceled the primaries which were
scheduled for August and September 1992 due to supposed voter fraud. This was a
controversial move which was followed by the announcement of disqualified political candidates.
This setback delayed the elections up until the government held a presidential election
on June 12, 1993. This election was seen by the public as one of Nigeria’s fairest elections. The
winner was Nigerian Businessman M.K.O Abiola. It was a celebrated victory but on June 23,
1993, Babangida filed numerous lawsuits which successfully annulled the election. This event
threw Nigeria into chaos. It was stated that more than a hundred people were killed in riots
before Babangida agreed to hand over power to a provisional government on August 27.
General Babangida tried to reverse his initial decision but without any support from the military
and the public, he had no choice but to abdicate to a nonpartisan businessman named Ernest
Shonekan. Now that Babangida was out of the picture, Shonekan was tasked to lead the
country until the 1994 elections. Even though he led Babangida’s previous Transitional Council,
his reign was kind of disappointing since he failed to reverse the growing economic problems of
the nation. It also doesn’t help that he failed to stabilize the country’s political tensions. Since
Nigeria was eventually returning to its chaotic climate, Defense Minister Sani Abacha took
matters into his own hands and forced Shonekan to resign on November 17, 1993. He then
dissolved all democratic political institutions and replaced every elected governor with loyal
military officers. Abacha promised to the public that he will return government power to civilian
rule but he failed to announce a timetable. Due to the public backlash which started since the
annulment of the June 12 elections, the United States and its allied nations impose sanctions on
the military government of Nigeria. They also restricted government officials from travelling and
suspended military assistance.
At first Abacha’s takeover was welcomed by most Nigerians, but it was soon taken over
by discontent from the people. This gave rise to large oppositions like the National Democratic
Coalition (NADECO) to campaign for the return of civilian rule. The opposition had a prominent
candidate named Moshood Abiola, who eventually won the June 11, 1994 elections. He
managed to win thanks to the groundwork provided by NADECO. Abiola declared himself as
president after winning but he immediately went into hiding. He later re-appeared in the eyes of
the public and he was also arrested on June 23. Abacha was still in power and he displayed it
full force. He arrested his political opponents, he closed down news media outlets, and did
everything to quell dissent in the country. In 1995, Abacha suspected that some military officers
and civilians were planning a coup attempt along with former head of state Obasanjo and retired
General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. Abacha held a secret tribunal and most of the suspects were
convicted. Some of them were handed death sentences. These tribunals continued on
accusing, convicting and sentencing anyone who harbored anti-regime sentiments.
When October 1, 1995 rolled along, Abacha announced the 3-year timetable for
transitioning to civilian rule. The public viewed his elections as shams and the voter turnout for
the December 1997 and April 1998 elections was under 10%. The reason for this is because
Abacha also declared that he would run for president, which is not a good move to appease the
public and the remaining opposition. Although voter turnout was low, Abacha still managed to
win and he remained as head of state until his eventual death on June 8, 1998. Under his
regime, the government continued its usual authoritarian tendencies through the federal security
system, military, the state, and the courts. It was deemed that all branches of the security forces
were responsible for substantial human rights abuses. Abacha was replaced by General
Abdulsalami Abubakar. Abubakar’s government released almost all the civilians and political
detainees. His government also confirmed and decreased the reported human rights abuses.
The transition towards the Third Republic was filled with violence and controversy. The
succeeding republic is dependent on how its officials will overcome the problems of past
republics. The integrity and competence of the nation’s leaders is also paramount to the nation’s
development.
The Fourth Republic of Nigeria was conceived on May 29, 1999. This is due to the new
government adopting a new constitution during the same date. The government started out at a
promising pace. Its first president was Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general who was admired
for speaking out against the Abacha dictatorship. He immediately went to work, starting with
fixing the bureaucracy, old infrastructures, and a problematic military. He also launched a
blue-ribbon committee of nonpartisan statesmen to investigate the infamous human rights
violations. Obasanjo also released the numerous people held by the previous government. The
government tracked down and pursued the hidden overseas fund and managed to recover
millions of dollars. As stated earlier, the government started at a decent pace, but the political
landscape is still far from its goal of good governance. Electoral fraud is widespread and
corruption is still prevalent in the current government. This essay examines and analyzes the
historical issues surrounding the trial-and-error establishment of democratic governments in
Nigeria. In conclusion, Nigeria’s current state and political institutions must be strengthened,
especially bureaus that specialize in eliminating corruption. Even though Nigeria is still a
developing nation, it is worth mentioning that the Democracy Day they used to celebrate on May
29 was shifted to June 12 by President Muhammadu Buhari. This was done to commemorate
the botched June 12 elections of 1993 and the events that revolved around it.

5. Political Parties of Nigeria

 People’s Democratic Party

This is a Nigerian Political party which was founded in august 1998 by members of
various groups and organizations, including the groups known as G-18 and G-34. This party
supports economic deregulation, human rights, funding for health and education. This party had
a broad membership from traditional chiefs, academics, businessmen and some senior officers
in the military. Alex Ekwueme who is a former vice president of the country was the first
chairman of this party.

Through the guidance of Olusegun Obasanjo who is a former leader of the Military in
Nigeria, this political party became the country’s dominant party. In the 1999 elections the PDP
won the majority of the seats in legislature when the former leader of Military, Obasanjo was
elected as the president. And through the years, this political party held the grip in Presidency
until All Progressives Congress was formed and Muhammadu Buhari defeated Jonathan
signaling the end of PDP’s grip.

All Progressives Congress

Muhammadu Buhari was a Nigerian military leader and politician that served as Nigeria’s
head of state and was democratically elected as the President in 2015 ending the PDP’s grip in
the presidency. Nigerians welcomed Buhari’s efforts to end the corruption and aim to improve
societal values against the continuing issues of economic troubles which by then led to
discontent. Buhari’s leadership was rough at start because Nigeria experienced recession which
was the decline of revenue from oil sales. However, by 2018, the economy recovered although
there are still a lot of Nigerians who are experiencing extreme poverty.

There were issues running around about the leader of this political party which made the
people of Nigeria question his health because a lot of time Buhari went abroad to have his
treatment. However, Buhari and his administration dismissed all the rumors and still he was
named the PAC candidate for the 2019 election and still won the presidency as he is now the
President of Nigeria.

6. General Information about Nigeria

Nigeria has Africa's most significant population. The United Nations stated that Nigeria's
population is expected to reach 401.31 million people by 2050. If current trends continue, its
population will exceed 728 million by 2100. According to the United States Census Bureau,
Nigeria's population will surpass that of the United States in 2047, when the country's population
reaches 379.25 million. Nigeria will become the world's third most populous country with these
figures. Early marriages, high birth rates, and a lack of access to family planning are all factors
in Nigeria's population growth. The government has a birth rate of around 37 per 1,000
inhabitants. It is a youthful country when it comes to the average Nigerian citizen. The country's
median age is 18.4 years old for both males and females. In Nigeria, there is a very even divide
between males and females. In terms of numbers, men have a significant edge, but only by a
small margin. According to estimates, there are approximately 1.04 males for every female in
the country. However, after the age of 65, males marginally outweigh women, and women
outnumber men.
Nigeria is a multi-ethnic country with many ethnic groupings. The Hausa-Fulani ethnic
group outnumbers all others, making up two-thirds of the population. The vast majority of those
two-thirds belong to the Muslim faith. In Nigeria, there are three ethnic groups: the Nupe, Tiv,
and Kanuri. Nigeria's official language is English. However, the country speaks a variety of
languages. The Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo languages are the most widely spoken non-English
languages.
Moreover, the government system is a federal republic; the chief of state and head of
government is the president. Nigeria has a mixed economic system that includes various private
freedoms, combined with centralized financial planning and government regulation. This country
is part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is situated in West
Africa. With a coastline on both the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Benin, Cameroon,
Chad, and Niger are all neighboring countries. It ranges from southern coastal swamps to
tropical forests, woodlands, grasslands, and semi-desert in the north.
 Hence, Nigeria is one of Africa's most significant economies. It has been predominantly
based on the petroleum industry since the late 1960s. Since 1973, a succession of increases in
global oil prices has resulted in substantial economic expansion in transportation, building,
industry, and government services. Agricultural productivity stagnated as a result of the massive
movement of rural people into the major cities. Palm oil, peanuts (groundnuts), and cotton were
no longer considered vital export crops. Nigeria was also obliged to import critical commodities
such as rice and cassava for local consumption starting around 1975. As long as petroleum
income remained stable, this arrangement worked well. Despite this, the agriculture industry has
been in a state of crisis since the late 1970s, owing to the volatile global oil market and the
country's rapid population increase. Although many people continued to farm, there was
insufficient food production, necessitating increasingly expensive imports. Various governments
(mostly military-run) have addressed this issue by prohibiting agricultural imports and focusing, if
momentarily, on diverse agriculture and indigenization initiatives.
To improve service quality and minimize reliance on the government, the government
began privatizing numerous state-run firms in the late 1990s, particularly in communications,
power, and transportation. The majority of the firms were effectively privatized by the turn of the
century. But a handful remained in the government's control.
However, Nigeria's revenue flow remained shaky at the turn of the century, which the
government attempted to address by borrowing from international sources, implementing
various austerity measures, or doing both simultaneously. As a result, debt repayment required
an ever-increasing share of the national budget, which, given the prevalence of corruption in
government operations, meant that very little of Nigeria's revenue was spent on the people and
their needs. The country benefited from a 2005 debt-relief arrangement. The majority of its debt
to the Paris Club, a consortium of creditor countries, was canceled after it paid a specific
amount. Nigeria accomplished this requirement in 2006, becoming the first African country to
pay off the group's debt. Nigeria suffered a recession in2016, owing in part to low global oil
prices, but recovered quickly over the next few years.
 ARTICLE REVIEW
In the article “Area Studies and Comparative Politics: Africa in Context” Patrick Chabal
stated that Area Studies helps us understand better the evolution of Africa since its
independence. In present times, we can clearly see that Africa is now following the universal
path which means that democratization and free market economics is present in such a
continent. And to understand clearly, according to Hoffmann (2015), Area Studies is a
multidisciplinary social research that focuses more on a specific “geographic” region or a
culturally defined “area.” It draws disciplines of political science, sociology, ethnology,
geography, etc. With this at hand, Chabal leads us to the idea of comparing politics across the
globe. In order for one to compare politics among different countries, one must know the “areas”
of comparison. Thus, comparative politics attempts to draw generalizations of other countries’
political systems through assessing their differences and similarities.
Chabal (2005) discussed how Area Studies and Comparative Politics should go together
since Area studies recognizes the “area” that is needed to be compared to the other. Chabal
explained about “Area” in which in Comparative Politics, it should be the first point to consider.
In choosing areas to compare, once must consider first the questions needed to be asked
because the value undertaken will entirely depend on the purpose, scope and range of the
questions asked in a specific area. Example would be, one cannot compare roles of city Mayors
of Africa and Europe since both countries have different constitutional aspects but when one
would compare and study about the relationship of local and national politicians of both
countries, it would somehow lead to a comparative assessment.
Consequently, aside from considering the “area” for comparison, questions are also
significant since it will determine the right answers for your study. It is very important for one to
set up comparative questions that uncover the political process of a specific area rather than its
differences. Real questions should be asked like what exactly is happening in these areas and
not subjective questions for personal interests. Example would be instead of asking about
terrorism in Muslim countries, it is more useful to ask about the violence taking place in a
Muslim country. More importantly, one should be open minded as to the answers one can
acquire. Since a conceptual framework is needed to employ comparative questions, stick to
these concepts and be direct to your point. In order to conclude everything, comparative
analysis must provide the insights of the data gathered out from the questions. And through
these analyses, comparative politics comes in where it explains the real ground of these
countries out from the processes and systems that they have.
In light of knowing what comparative politics is, democratization in Africa is a great
example of it specifically in Nigeria. The article about the “Democratization in Africa after 1989”
written by Richard Joseph, he explained here how democratization took place in the countries of
Africa. In this article, he discussed how infertile African countries are for democratization. He
then stated that African countries were too poor, too culturally fragmented and they are
insufficient in capitalism. According to Huntington (1984), he said that most African countries are
grounded more in poverty or in violence which makes it even harder for them to move in a
democratic direction. Joseph, in his article, mentioned that because of the infertility of African
countries to democratization, this gave their leaders a signal to adjust and study more
democratization. African countries are more of authoritarian political structures which is also a
big factor as to why democratization is a challenge in this continent.
Ehrhardt (n.d) once stated that Nigeria, which is an African country, had a complex
domestic situation that gave them a little opportunity to exercise their influence to the system of
their politics. However, in 1970, when Nigeria had their first competitive elections, the
government took place but they were soon pushed aside by the military and the authority was
designated to specific successors when independent leaders died.
Another challenge that took place in African countries is the economic distress.
Sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, introduced some measures for political
liberalization and new governments were elected which made a way for new governments to
peacefully take power. But even though these African countries made way to have a political
transition, its vulnerability led their economic system to be bankrupt. Private sectors started to
ignore the continent. Opportunities opened when Bretton Woods' agency offered to change their
failed economic policies but due to the unwillingness and lack of interest of private banks and
their bilateral partners, the continent resisted such effort. Through their resistance, it led the
countries of these continents to have loans from the World Bank and International Monetary
Fund in order to stand still.
This economic challenge paved a way for external involvement to come in political
reforms. In their first independence, the continent focused more on the retention and restoration
of their economic sector, diplomatic and their security arrangements. Rabe (2008) mentioned
that the external forces that helped the African countries, especially Nigeria, were the
International Monetary Fund, International Bank for Reconstruction and the World Trade
Organization. These progressive institutions shouldered the responsibility on Nigeria’s future
economy. The World Bank extended its first facility to Nigeria in completing the railway line from
Gombe where the congress is located to Maiduguri, the capital state of Borno. This marked the
beginning of the World bank interfering with its political economy. Most of the projects that were
financed by the Bank were in the areas of highways, transportation, seaports,
telecommunications and electricity energy. Through the years, from 1958 to 1987 the World
Bank approved 66 project loans for Nigeria that greatly helped the country to recover.
These challenges and external forces are the factors as to how Nigeria stands still
through the beginning of time. Compared to the early era of these African countries including
Nigeria, their economy and political systems are better now. The World Bank (2021) stated that
Sub-Saharan Africa is now offering human and natural resources that yield to the continent’s
growth and eradicate poverty through time. With the world’s largest free trade area, the African
continent is creating an entirely new development path controlling the potential of its resources
and people.
Recently, the Nigeria Development Update (2021) discussed how Nigeria was able to
experience disruption due to the pronounced decline in oil prices and spike that caused so
much risk globally. The COVID 19 Pandemic also risked the vulnerable people that could fall
into poverty but fortunately, the growth resumed as the pandemic restrictions were eased and oil
prices recovered. In the year of 2020, the government of Nigeria had the control to harmonize
exchange rates, eliminate gasoline subsidies, adjusted electricity tariffs and the redirection of
resources of COVID19 responses in the federal and state levels. Nigeria was able to overcome
this through the government’s impact in protecting their economy.
Finally, the overwhelming challenges that these African countries encountered was a
great factor as to how independent and resilient this continent is now. The idea of Comparative
Politics that attempts to uncover the processes and system of a given “area” by the help of Area
studies, helps us to understand the journey of the African Continent. Therefore, the article of
Patrick Chabal tells us that comparative studies does not really directly compare one country to
another but it tells us that through the help of area studies, we can compare how one country
was able to establish such a process in their own country. Comparative politics does not just
explain to us the process and system of one country to another but it enlightens us how one
“area” was able to develop its own system and process as time passes by.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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