Second thoughts on civil society: The state, civic associations and the antinomies of the public sphere in Africa

Abstract

Is a vibrant associational life necessarily antecedent to a strong civil society? Does associationism produce a more democratic and egalitarian political order? Using data from Nigeria, this paper interrogates a major problematic in the conceptualization of civil society. The contemporary reanimation of the idea of civil society in African scholarship has privileged the role of voluntary associations. This paper challenges and critically complicates that discourse by examining the origins, nature and activities of ‘alternative’ state-inspired ‘civil society’ organizations during the regime of General Sani Abacha (1993–1998). Until recently, these associations have been relatively neglected because, they negate both the wisdom about voluntary associations as democratic agents, and of civil society as a constantly positive force.