The Trouble with Nigeria

Abstract

THE TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA Levi A. Nwachuku and G. N. Uzoigwe, eds. Troubled Journey: Nigeria since Civil War. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 2004. xxviii + 340 pp. Appendix. Bibliography. Index. Maps. Photographs. Tables. $60.00. Paper. Robert I. Rotberg, ed. drafting New Nigeria. Boulder, CoIo.: Lynne Rienner, 2004. x + 273 pp. List of Acronyms. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Maps. Tables. $55.00. Cloth. Ayo Olukotun. Repressive State and Resurgent Media Under Nigeria's Military Dictatorship, 1988-98. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2004. Research report no. 126. 136 pp. SEK 100. Paper. Osita Agbu. Ethnic Militias and Threat to Democracy in Post-transition Nigeria. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2004. Research report no. 127. 53 pp. Bibliography. Appendixes. SEK 100. Paper. Timothy Tseror. Democratic Rule in Nigeria. Jos, Nigeria: Greenworld Publishing Company Ltd., 2002. ix + 93 pp. Bibliography. Index. Price not reported. Paper. Nigeria remains one of most important and fascinating countries in Africa, with abundant human and material resources. If these could be harnessed effectively, Nigeria could easily become one of most influential countries in world. The country has played a leadership role in everything from liberation of southern Africa to formation of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union, and attempted stabilization of Liberia and other states in region. The decline of Nigeria, although not as severe as decline and even collapse of other states in Africa, has saddened all who love her and disheartened all who had hoped for great things from independent Africa. Today Nigeria is better known for scam spam that clutters up Internet mailboxes around world than for its great authors, musicians, and other creative people. Massive investments in industry have failed to industrialize country; hope of post-Biafra, oil-boom Nigeria has given way to cynicism, corruption, and despair. The great religiosity of Nigerians has become less a call to than a reason to murder followers of other religions. Who can ponder Confucius's famous statement that the material prosperity of a country does not consist in material prosperity, but in righteousness without thinking of Nigeria? Understanding decline, if not quite yet fall, of Nigeria is one of most important tasks facing Africanist scholars today. If journalism is first draft of history, books under review here represent its second draft. They are all concerned with recent events in Nigeria, are written by social scientists and historians, and often use journalistic accounts as primary sources. They seek to make sense of recent past in order to help readers understand contemporary events in Nigeria. All make important contributions to our understanding of recent developments in Nigeria, though in different ways. Probably most useful book to widest number of readers of African Studies Review would be Troubled Journey: Nigeria since Civil War. It is a reference history of Nigeria over past few decades, and incorporates most of events and personalities that those writing about or working in Nigeria need to know. It could well serve as a textbook for political science classes about Nigeria or Africa in general. The book opens with two survey chapters to set context, first dealing with Nigeria before independence and second with Nigeria after independence. Then follow nine chapters about post-Civil War Nigeria, organized by administration or regime, with a concluding chapter speculating on future of Nigeria. Troubled Journey not only contains much important information, it also makes a number of important analytical points. The authors note that Nigeria, both as a colony and as an independent country, has been dominated by military; at same time, politicization of military has led to a militarization of Nigerian politics. …