State Failure and Niger Delta Conflict

  • Ben Naanen
  • Kialee Nyiayaana
Chapter

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa’s postcolonial crisis has produced profoundly dysfunctional effects on states across the continent. Basil Davidson’s characterization of the modern African nation-state imposed through its colonization by the West as a “curse” was a loud contribution to the debate on failed or collapsed states in Africa.1 Also, the notable collection of papers on “collapsed states” edited by Zartman includes both theoretical exploration of the concept of collapsed states and insights on how some collapsed African states have been resuscitated. It also recommends what could be done to restore those that are in a state of collapse.2 Zartman cites the case of the collapse of the colonial state in the Congo (later Zaire, and now Democratic Republic of Congo) in making the point that state failure in Africa is not a postcolonial phenomenon. He identifies two waves of failure in postcolonial Africa. The first came toward the end of the second decade of independence when the regimes that had succeeded the immediate postcolonial governments were overthrown, carrying with them the entire state structure. This was exemplified by the case of Chad in 1980 –1982, Uganda in 1979–1981 after the overthrow of Idi Amin Dada, and the partial collapse of Ghana under Hilla Limann and between the two interventions of Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings from 1979 to 1981.3 The second wave came in the late 1980s and 1990s. 4 This wave, which continues to this day, include Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which are now in varying stages of uneasy revival; Somalia; and to a large degree, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Keywords

Civil Society Social Movement Niger Delta National Question Nigerian State 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Mojúbàolú Olúfúnké Okome 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ben Naanen
  • Kialee Nyiayaana

There are no affiliations available

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