In writing this authoritative source of reference for students of Law and legal practitioners in Nigeria and elsewhere, Sir Udo Udoma realised a youth ambition he developed as a Reid's Professor's Prizeman of the Law School of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, in the 1940s, to one day write a book on Constitutional Law. HISTORY AND THE LAW OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIA is the result of his study and analysis of Nigeria's constitutional history that involved research work of great magnitude into the various nooks and crannies in which the origin of the country, Nigeria, lies buried. It allows the reader to understand and appreciate some of the problems that still confront Nigeria, as a country in the continent of Africa, particularly those of unity and stability.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.

"It presents an alternative perspective on the end of Empire by focusing upon one aspect of constitutional decolonization and the importance of the local legal culture in determining each dependency's constitutional settlement, and provides a series of empirical case studies on the incorporation of human rights instruments into domestic constitutions when negotiated between a state and its dependencies. More generally this book highlights Britain's human rights legacy to its former Empire."--BOOK JACKET.

This book is a completely revised merger of both volumes 1 and 2 of Constitutional Law in Nigeria previously published. It deals with the various principles of constitutional law and fundamental human rights as contained in the 1999 constitution, though f

This volume engages in an in-depth discussion of Nigerian politics. Written by an expert group of Nigerian researchers, the chapters provide an overarching, Afrocentric view of politics in Nigeria, from pre-colonial history to the current federal system. The book begins with a series of historical chapters analyzing the development of Nigeria from its traditional political institutions through the First Republic. After establishing the necessary historical context, the next few chapters shift the focus to specific political institutions and phenomena, including the National Assembly, local government and governance, party politics, and federalism. The remaining chapters discuss issues that continue to affect Nigerian politics: the debt crisis, oil politics in the Niger Delta, military intervention and civil-military relations, as well as nationalism and inter-group relations. Providing an overview of Nigerian politics that encompasses history, economics, and public administration, this volume will be useful to students and researchers interested in African politics, African studies, democracy, development, history, and legislative studies.