| ID | 139806 |
| Title Proper | Getting our piece of the national cake |
| Other Title Information | consociational power sharing and neopatrimonialism in Nigeria |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Kendhammer, Brandon |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Although consociational-style ethnic power-sharing arrangements are frequently adopted in postconflict African states, their track record is spotty at best. Using post-civil war Nigeria (one of Africa's most durable experiments with ethnic proportionality in government), I argue that the failure of formal ethnic power-sharing in Africa is due to its intersection with the largely informal power-sharing practices characteristic of neopatrimonial political systems. In Nigeria, well-intentioned policies meant to ensure ethnic proportionality reinforce the power of patronage networks that also rely on ethnic and kinship mobilization to capture state resources. As a result, entrenched ethnic power sharing in Nigeria's federal constitution since the late 1970s has played a key role in the country's descent into corruption and poor governance. |
| `In' analytical Note | Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Vol. 21, No.2; Apr/Jun 2015: p.143-165 |
| Journal Source | Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Vol: 21 No 2 |
| Key Words | Political systems ; Nigeria ; Neopatrimonialism ; Poor Governance ; National Cake ; Consociational Power Sharing ; Consociational - Style ; Ethnic Power - Sharing Arrangements ; Postconflict African States ; Kinship Mobilization |