"An Introduction to Nigerian Government and Politics is a textbook designed to provide basic knowledge on the trajectory and political development of Nigeria from the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras. The book is a product of many years of teaching and research. The main aim of the book is to simplify the study of government and politics of Nigeria in a proper context. However, those primarily targeted by the book are students studying Political Science at the Undergraduate level in Nigerian Universities and other tertiary institutions. Moreover, lecturers, teachers, scholars, researchers and media practitioners can use the book for teaching as well as a reference material. The book is structured in a simple format that is user friendly for easy comprehension. The major strength of the book is that, it has captured the emerging trends of the Nigeria's forth Republic in its dynamic nature. Therefore, to understand Nigeria Government and Politics as a pre-requisite for citizenship education on Nigeria is to read this book."--Back cover.

This edited collection is the product of a National Research Working Group (NRWG) established by Said Adejumobi and supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). It analyzes the progress made in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999 and the prospects of democratic consolidation in the country.

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.

Nigerians embraced federalism as a way of managing the conflicts and suspicions among the various constituent nationalities that make up the Nigerian state. These fears and suspicions had led to the emergence of aggressive political and economic competitions along ethno-regional lines. Beginning from 1954, the unitary colonial state saw itself being gradually federalized as it had to contend with powerful ethno-regional pressures in the run-up to independence in 1960. Following the military coup of 1966, which ushered in a prolonged period of military rule, the various military regimes created a very centralized federal system while they ruled. By 1999 however, Nigerians had become disenchanted with the way the federal system was operated in the country, with echoes of the strident calls for a national conference to re-assess the system and the way it was operated reverberating throughout the entire length and breadth of the country.