Abstract
Patronage and financial corruption are rife in the contemporary Nigerian state and
have gained widespread social acceptance, indicating a belief that it is legitimate to
appropriate state resources for personal gain. In this paper I concentrate on the historical antecedents of this state of affairs. Focusing on the Igbo-speaking south-east of the country, I argue that an understanding of contemporary Nigeria must be based on a syncretic analysis: that is, a combination of influences from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras. Despite this, the colonial era should not be downplayed as an influence, as some have sought to argue. In particular, I argue that the imposition of warrant chiefs in previously acephalous communities with participatory governance engendered a belief that government did not belong to local people.
have gained widespread social acceptance, indicating a belief that it is legitimate to
appropriate state resources for personal gain. In this paper I concentrate on the historical antecedents of this state of affairs. Focusing on the Igbo-speaking south-east of the country, I argue that an understanding of contemporary Nigeria must be based on a syncretic analysis: that is, a combination of influences from pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras. Despite this, the colonial era should not be downplayed as an influence, as some have sought to argue. In particular, I argue that the imposition of warrant chiefs in previously acephalous communities with participatory governance engendered a belief that government did not belong to local people.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 405-428 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | JOURNAL OF ASIAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 10 Dec 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Colonialism
- Nigeria
- Igbo
- Bureaucracy
- Governance
- Historical syncretism