Nigeria: A Failed State?
April 21st, 2007 | Published in Democracy, Governance, Nigeria | 6 Comments
What is the definition of a failed state? Is Nigeria a failed state?
This is one of the topics on the blog African Skirts authored by Nkem - a Nigerian blogger living in the U.K. Check out the comments and leave yours as well. I have reproduced mine below:
A very interesting academic but unfortunately obtuse exercise in the definition of “failed state”.
Of course, the definition is relative! It depends on how high or low our standards are. Having a low standard is a “constitutional sin” and one of the problems facing Nigeria [today].
Must we compare ourselves to Somalia?
Is it until we have a total collapse of law and order nationwide that Nigeria has failed as a nation?
How should we tag a nation where leaders jet out to treat simple ailments and medical cases of breathlessness and uncomplicated sprains and bone fractures?
What would you call a nation where its cities are filled with area boys, and armed robbers and bandits rule the streets in broad day light?
How should we describe a nation where people spent hours waiting to cast their votes just to see their gangster deputy governor arrive to hijack the ballot box with soldiers shooting into the air?
If these are not traits of failure - they are certainly not signs of a successful nation!
April 21st, 2007 at 6:17 pm (#)
What is the definition of a failed state? Is Nigeria a failed state?
I’m going to rephrase this question thus: Has Nigeria as a nation, failed?
I am positive that, if you put this question before millions of Nigerians(aside from the ruling class and an isolated few) the answer would be…YES!
What would any ‘reasonable’ citizen regard as failure in respect of governance?
Failure as it relates to the governance of a state would mean any of the following:
1.The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends…
2.The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short…
3.A cessation of proper functioning or performance…
4.Nonperformance of what is requested or expected…
Now, if you look at the above definitions of failure properly, most people would agree that no.3…(i.e, a cessation of proper functioning or performance) and no.4.(.i.e, nonperformance of what is requested or expected) best describe the present and past state of Nigeria as a Nation.
Is Nigeria a failed state? YES!
What are the basic things that the citizens expect from the ruling class?
a)…Security: Security of lives and property. Would anyone assert that Nigerians are secured?
b)…Employment: As resourceful as the citizens are, the unemployment rate is very very high. Apart from the privileged few who are lucky to be employed, majority of the masses are barely existing…
c)…Free and Fair Elections: Does anyone want me to say anything here?
That is the succinct report sheet of Nigeria. Brief as it is, the sheet encapsulate the utter failure of this state…
Scratch your head, twist and turn as you wish…these facts on ground can not be wished away by high sounding words or logic.
April 22nd, 2007 at 8:00 am (#)
I do not think that Nigeria is a failed state. Nor do I think that it is in the interests of citizens of the developing world to apply this concept, which derives from American imperialist foreign policy, to their home countries. As is stated in the “Wikipedia” article on the concept, the political and military implications of labeling a state as “failed” are that the proclamations and laws of that government may be ignored. The concept is a pretext for violent action inside the borders of that “failed state” by agents from other countries. Noone wants that to happen in Nigeria again. You had enough of that before you threw the British out and then took in “adivsors” during the Biafran conflict.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 am (#)
Don, what does the term “failed state” have to do with “a concept derived from American “imperialist foreign policy”? You lost me there, buddy. Can you explain that better because the way I read your statement, labelling a country as “failed” is a pre-text for invasion by a foreign power. Are you suggesting that the U.S.A. or some other nation is planning an invasion of Nigeria?
It was The Economist intelligence unit that recently described Nigeria as a failed state in an article, not the New York Times or the Washington Post. That’s E-C-O-N-O-M-I-S-T, like in Great Britain.
On the other hand I can agree with you that Nigeria is not (yet) a failed state, but certain members of it’s present government and the INEC are heading the wrong way down the Road to Perdition.
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:49 pm (#)
Plenty of American right-wingers read and write for The Economist. I would have to read the article myself and scrutinize the background of the author. I know that I first heard the term “failed state” around 2002 or so and that it was used repeatedly with reference to both Afghanistan and Iraq, which we invaded. Now it is being used with reference to Somalia, which Ethiopia has invaded for us. I would hope that Nigerians can fix their own government without opting for international intervention.
April 24th, 2007 at 4:54 am (#)
Touché Don.
Your reply got me to thinking so I checked the Wikipedia entry on “failed state” and as we both agree, Nigeria is not quite there yet (and I hope that it never slides into such a condition). Although there are a number of authors and organizations that have been throwing the term around lately (Chomsky, Foreign Policy magazine, U.S. Fund for Peace, etc.) I noticed that the term did appear in an article written by a Swiss academic in 1995 (auf Deutsch) and was revised and republished in 1999 (in English) for the International Committee for the Red Cross magazine International Review. See the following (use the Wikipedia link to the article):
31-12-1999 International Review of the Red Cross No. 836, p. 731-761
The “failed State” and international law
by Daniel Thürer
So you see, it’s the Germans or more accurately the Swiss-Germans who started this whole thing with “failed states” and the ICRC helped to spread the use of the term back in 1999. I have yet to read that recent Economist report on Nigeria as well.
April 24th, 2007 at 7:07 am (#)
I have been appropriately educated. I would most certainly have supported more drastic international action with respect to the “failed state” of Rwanda as I also do now in the Darfur region of Sudan. Sometimes humanitarian concerns do indeed outweigh those of state sovereignty and self-determination.
In general, I do not think that we have an international and universal standard for what functions politicians are to perform in order to claim legitimacy as opposed to failure. Winning elections is a good sign, but I would submit that it is more important to have representatives who actually decide what laws are passed and how crimes are adjudicated. Some one party states and dictatorships (Iraq?) nonetheless have parliamentary rule or other mechanisms for ensuring public participation.
I would also contend that the most memorable use of the term “failed state” has been by American policy makers justifying preemptive strikes in the new American century. In my view those actions have not improved public safety and security, although they have introduced new political systems which may yet take root among the people. Failure should always be assessed in terms of what is wanted by the governed rather than what is good for international trade, alliances, or the “war on terror.”