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The US and Democratization in Nigeria: Issues, Strategies, and Impacts

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Abstract

The end of the Cold War has generated momentum in the expansion of democratic governance in Africa. There is no doubt US intervention has influenced the development of democratic processes in the region. The US democratization approach involves putting diplomatic pressure on regimes to reform. America’s promotion of democracy in the region has been deemed ineffective, inconsistent, and as being used to work toward its own self-interest. This chapter, though, examines the role and influence of the USA in the democratization process in Nigeria. Omotosho also explores the channels through which the USA influenced the transition to democratic regimes and examines some domestic factors that facilitated or undermined the USA’s influence on the development of democracy in Nigeria.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Philip Aka, “The ‘Dividend of Democracy’: Analyzing U.S. Support for Nigerian Democratization”, Boston College Third World Law Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2002, pp. 12–22.

  2. 2.

    Michael Pinto-Duschinsky, “The Rise of Political Aid,” in Larry Diamond (ed.), Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies: Regional Challenges, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997, p. 50. See also Michael Bratton and Nicolas Van de Walle, Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1997.

  3. 3.

    Larry Diamond, “Promoting Democracy in Africa: U.S. and international policies in transition” in John W. Harbeson and Donald Rothchild (eds.), Africa in World Politics: Post-Cold War Challenges, Washington, DC, Westview Press, 1995.

  4. 4.

    Peter J. Burnell, (ed.), Democracy assistance: international cooperation for democratization, London, Frank Cass, 2000, pp. 62–72.

  5. 5.

    Gordon Crawford, Foreign Aid and Political Reform: A Comparative Analysis of Democracy Assistance and Political Conditionality, Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2001.

  6. 6.

    Steven Hook, “Building Democracy Through Foreign Aid: The Limitations of United States Political Conditionalities, 1992–96”, Democratization, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1998, pp. 156–180; Stephen Brown, “Foreign Aid and Democracy Promotion: Lessons from Africa”, The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2005, pp. 179–198; Thomas Carothers, “Democracy Assistance: The Question of Strategy”, Democratization, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1997, pp. 109–132.

  7. 7.

    Temi Harriman, “Is There a Future For Democracy in Nigeria?”, Public lecture delivered at the Department of International Development, Oxford University, on June 5, 2006, pp. 26–30. See also Mashood Omotosho, “Conflict and Democratic Impasse in the Fourth Republic in Nigeria” in Talla Ngarka and Reuben Ziri (eds), “Law and National Security in the Fourth Republic”, Lapai Democracy Series, Department of History and Archaeology Research and Publication, IBB University, Lapai, 2010, pp. 182–190.

  8. 8.

    Philip Aka, Op. Cit.

  9. 9.

    Temi Harriman, Op. Cit.

  10. 10.

    Philip Aka, Op. Cit.

  11. 11.

    Thomas Carothers, Op. Cit.; See also Gorm Rye Olsen, “Promotion of Democracy as a Foreign Policy Instrument of ‘Europe’: Limits to International Idealism”, Democratization, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2000, p.115; Joseph Siegle, “Developing Democracy: Democratizers’ Surprisingly Bright Development Record,” Harvard International Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2004, pp. 20–25.

  12. 12.

    Richard Youngs, The European Union and the Promotion of Democracy, Oxford and New York, Oxford University Press, 2001.

  13. 13.

    Warren Christopher, “Africa at a Crossroads: American Interests and American Engagement”, U.S. Department of State Dispatch, Vol. 7, No. 42, 1996.

  14. 14.

    Gorm Rye Olsen, Op. Cit. For further reading you can see Richard Youngs, Op. Cit.

  15. 15.

    Samuel Huntington, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Orman, OK,University of Oklahoma Press, 1991, pp. 60–82.

  16. 16.

    Thomas Carothers, Aiding Democracy Abroad: The Learning Curve, Washington, DC, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1999, p. 23; See Michael McFaul, “Democracy Promotion as a World Value”, The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2004, pp. 147–163. See also Joseph Siegle, Op. Cit.

  17. 17.

    Julie Hearn, and Mark Robinson, “Civil Society and Democracy Assistance in Africa”, in Peter Burnell (ed.), Democracy Assistance: International Cooperation for Democratization, London, Frank Cass, 2000, pp. 56–71.

  18. 18.

    USAID, “Nigeria Country Strategic Plan, 2004–2009”, USAID, 2003, p. viii; Adetula, Victor, Darren Kew, and Chris Kwaja, “Assessing Democracy Assistance: Nigeria”, Project Report: Assessing Democracy Assistance, May 2010.

  19. 19.

    William Minter, “America and Africa: Beyond the Double Standard”, Current History, Vol. 99, No. 637, 2000, pp. 200–210.

  20. 20.

    Barak Obama, National Security Strategy, May 2010, available online at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf [accessed August 18, 2015].

  21. 21.

    Johnnie Carson, “Statement by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs” at Abuja, April, 2011, Available online at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov [accessed November 7, 2014].

  22. 22.

    Gordon Crawford, Op. Cit. See Richard Youngs, Op. Cit.

  23. 23.

    Michael Bratton and Nicolas Van de Walle, Op. Cit., pp. 23–60.

  24. 24.

    Peter Burnell, (ed.), Op. Cit.

  25. 25.

    Gordon Crawford, Op. Cit. See also Michael Bratton, Carolyn Logan, Wonbin Cho, and Paloma Bauer “Afrobarometer Round 2: Compendium of Comparative Results from a 15 Country Survey,” Afrobarometer Network, 2004.

  26. 26.

    Philip Aka, Op. Cit.

  27. 27.

    M. Ould-Mey, “Democratization in Africa: The Political Face of SAPS,” Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1996, pp. 122–158. See Gordon Crawford, Op. Cit.

  28. 28.

    Temi Harriman, Op. Cit.

  29. 29.

    Gorm Rye Olsen, “Europe and the Promotion of Democracy in Post Cold War Africa: How Serious is Europe and For What Reason?” African Affairs, Vol. 97, No. 388, 1998, pp. 343–367. See also Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, “West Africa’s Burdened Democracy”, 2006. Available Online at http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive [accessed November 17, 2011].

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Omotosho, M.O. (2016). The US and Democratization in Nigeria: Issues, Strategies, and Impacts. In: Burt, S., Añorve, D. (eds) Global Perspectives on US Democratization Efforts. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58984-2_7

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