Abstract

The colonial disruption of organic state formation in Africa through the imposition of an alien state system adversely influenced state-building in the continent with consequences for good governance, belonging, and development in its holistic sense. Looking at the case of Nigeria, the adverse manifestations of the postcolonial state are signposted in the prevalent high level of insecurity that brings the state to the point of failure. This study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to interrogate the origins of the Nigerian state, the perverse character it manifests, and her future trajectory. The findings show that Nigeria is in self-destruct mode unless, for once, the fundamental problem of its imposed origin and essence is addressed. Doing so will require a political mechanism that enables Nigerians to participate in negotiating a social contract between the state and its citizens as equal stakeholders.

摘要

通过强加外来国家制度，殖民地破坏了非洲有机国家的形成，对非洲大陆的国家建设产生了不利影响，对整体意义上的善治、归属感和发展产生了影响。看看尼日利亚的例子，后殖民国家的不利表现体现在普遍的高度不安全感，这种不安全感使国家走向失败。本研究采用定性和定量研究相结合的方法来审视尼日利亚国家的起源、它所表现出的反常特征以及她的未来轨迹。调查结果表明，除非解决其强加的起源和本质的根本问题，否则尼日利亚正处于自我毁灭模式。