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The Political Economy of Colonialism and Nation-Building in Nigeria 1st ed. 2022 Edition Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba full chapter instant download
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The Political Economy
of Colonialism and
Nation-Building in Nigeria
Edited by
Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba
The Political Economy of Colonialism
and Nation-Building in Nigeria
Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba
Editor
The Political
Economy
of Colonialism
and Nation-Building
in Nigeria
Editor
Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba
Insitute of African Studies
Carleton University
Ottawa, Canada
Thabo Mbeki School of Public
and International Affairs
University of South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer
Nature Switzerland AG 2022
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc.
in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such
names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for
general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and informa-
tion in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither
the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with
respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been
made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps
and institutional affiliations.
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature
Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Contents
v
vi CONTENTS
Index 361
List of Contributors
ix
x LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
xi
xii LIST OF TABLES
S. O. Oloruntoba (B)
Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
e-mail: samuelojooloruntoba@cunet.carleton.ca
and that a new form of colonialism is needed to boost capacity for self-
governing. This author also argued that colonialism ended too soon.
While lamenting that colonialism has been given a bad name, Gilley
(2017: 1) argues that.
The case for Western colonialism is about rethinking the past as well as
improving the future. It involves reaffirming the primacy of human lives,
universal values, and shared responsibilities – the civilising mission without
scare quotes – that led to improvements in living conditions for most Third
World peoples during most episodes of Western colonialism. It also involves
learning how to unlock those benefits again.
pressures from secessionist groups, mutual distrust and incessant calls for
restructuring.
At independence in 1960, Nigeria held high potentials for develop-
ment due to the large deposit of oil, which was discovered in 1956, large
arable land, seaport, relatively large population and hard-working citizens.
Indeed, in the first decade after independence, the country grew relatively
well in terms of Gross Domestic Product. Jobs were created through
the expansion of civil service, state-led industrialization and expansion in
commercial activities (Soludo & Ogbu, 2004). The regional approach to
the federalism of this time also led to healthy competition among the
federating units (Adamolekun, 2005). However, the faulty foundation of
the country soon came into full manifestation as ethnic rivalry among the
leading ethnic groups, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo created political insta-
bility, which paved the way for the first military coup of 15 January 1966
(Nyang’oro, 1993). Another coup in July 1966 was followed by a three-
year bloody civil war as well as series of coups and counter-coups, until
1999, when Nigeria returned to civil rule. What has emerged since the
1970s was what Osaghae calls a crippled giant in a book of the same
title (Osaghae, 1998). Osaghae correctly notes that the challenges that
crippled Nigeria are structural in nature, with roots in the colonial foun-
dation of the county. As Oloruntoba (this volume) argues, the challenges
of nation-building that Nigeria continues to face can be largely attributed
to the divide and rule tactics of the colonialists, the faulty foundation of
the federation as well as the nature and character of the post-colonialstate
and the political elites. By bequeathing a rentier economy based on extrac-
tion, colonialism laid the foundation for the ‘politics of the belly’ (Bayart,
2009), prebendalism (Joseph, 1987) and accumulation by dispossession
that continued to define politics and governance in Nigeria.
Papers in this volume examine various aspects of colonialism in Nigeria,
as well as its continued implications for nation-building, governance,
development. The book is divided into five parts. In the first part, the
political economy of colonialism was put into historical and analytical
contexts in terms of how it has continued to affect nation-building,
unity and inter-ethnic conflicts. In Chapter 2, Oloruntoba places the
current challenges of nation-building in Nigeria within the historical
context of colonialism and the faulty foundation of the Nigerian feder-
ation. He argues that despite the efforts of the post-independent political
leaders to forge a federation that delivers on inclusive development,
1 INTRODUCTION: COLONIALISM AND CHALLENGES … 7
during the colonial era was the subject of contribution of Labbo Abdullahi
in Chapter 6. However, despite all the interventions of these organiza-
tions, leprosy remains a health problem in different parts of the country.
In Chapter, Mary Aderonke Afolabi examines how fluid identities and
ethnicity affects nation-building during the colonial era in Lagos State.
Afolabi argues that given the ethnic diversity of Lagos during the colo-
nial period, original identities disappeared over time, thus leading to fluid
identities. She concludes that ethnic identity is not static but fluid. Effec-
tive management of ethnic identities is a compelling requirement for
nation-building. Matthew Heaton’s contribution in Chapter 7, examines
the motivations behind the institution of colonial governmental regu-
lation of the overland pilgrimage from Nigeria to Mecca in the early
twentieth century. He argues that pilgrimage control in Nigeria, while
initially undesirable to colonial officials, ultimately came about because of
concerns that an unregulated pilgrimage posed significant threats to the
political imperatives of indirect rule in northern Nigeria.
The second part of this volume focuses on the Governance, Develop-
ment and Nation-Building in Nigeria. In Chapter 8, Egodi Uchendu and
Emmanuel T. Eyeh examine the clamour for restructuring the Nigerian
federation, with a focus on resource-control and devolution of exces-
sive powers of the government at the centre. They argue that concerns
over unequal distribution of power and resources have led to the call for
restructuring, noting that while the agitation has been more pronounced
in the Southern part of the country, only a few people in the North lend
support to such agitation. The debate over restructuring is highly polem-
ical, with a tendency to become a mere political slogan. For instance,
whereas key actors in the ruling All People’s Party (APC) made restruc-
turing one of their key campaign issues in the 2015 elections, little has
been done to address the problem six years into their leadership of the
country. The next chapter by Sati Fwatshak further explicates the debate
on restructuring. The core of his argument is that the clamour for restruc-
turing is borne out of the failure of the state to satisfy the development
aspirations of the citizens.
In Chapter 10, Damilola Agbalajobi examines the participation of
women in African politics. While arguing that women played very impor-
tant roles in the struggle for independence and have indeed excelled in
various professions, they have not assumed the prominent roles in politics
in post-independent Africa. Chapter 11 by Fayomi, Oluyemi O., Ajayi,
Lady A., Popoola, Rosemary O., Njoaguani, Oluwatobi follows the same
1 INTRODUCTION: COLONIALISM AND CHALLENGES … 9
line of argument. The authors argue that given the important role that
women can perform in politics, the various international convention for
promoting women participation political and social affairs should be oper-
ationalized. In Chapter 12, Adelaja Odukoya and Abubakar Momoh (in
memoriam) establish a link between democracy and demilitarization in
Africa. They argue that whereas the military has returned to the barracks,
the practice of democracy in a different part of the continent continue
to be suffused with civilian dictatorship, which is evidenced by flagrant
disrespect for the rule of law, arbitrariness and dwindling freedom for citi-
zens. In Chapter 13, Michael Ogu examines the herder–farmer conflicts
in Nigeria in the context of ethnicity. He argues that ethnicity and farmer–
herder conflict does have implications for nation-building. He concludes
that deliberate effort should be made by media and educational insti-
tutions to enlighten Nigerians against irrational ethnic sentiments, and
government should pay attention to the ethnic dimensions of farmer–
herder conflicts in Nigeria. In the next chapter, Sunday Otinche takes
the argument further noting rather poignantly that the politicization of
ethnicity was born out of the colonial processes of socialization and polit-
ical integration. While ethnicity is a natural form of identity, how it is
instrumentalized have implication for nation-building.
In Chapter 15, Dare Idowu and Damilola Agbalajobi examine the
implications of ECOWAS Protocol on the free movement of personsand
the implications of porous borders on the security of lives and properties
in the North Central part of Nigeria. They argue that the influx of migrant
Fulani herdsmen to Nigeria with small arms and light weapons (SALWs)
under the guise of ECOWAS protocols of free movement of persons
constitute severe threats to internal security in North Central Nigeria.
They further argue that through these two factors, migrant herdsmen
illegally come to Nigeria with cattle and arms with which they unleash
terror on host communities. Given the security challenges currently facing
Nigeria, they recommend that Nigeria Government should restrict the
movement of people across the borders and implement the ECOWAS
90-day maximum stay for ECOWAS citizens in the country. It remains to
be seen how this will play out in the light of the policy of free movement
of all Africans to Nigeria which started in 2020.
In Chapter 16, Joseph O. Nkwede, Ahmed O. Moliki, Kazeem O.
Dauda, and Olanrewaju A. Orija examine governance and development at
the grassroot level, using Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun
State as a case study. They argue that governance at the local level has
10 S. O. OLORUNTOBA
References
Adamolekun, L.(2005). The Nigerian federation at the crossroads: The way
forward. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 35(3), 383405.
Adedeji, A. (2012). The travails of regional integration in Africa. In A. Adebajo
& K. Whiteman (Eds.), The EU and Africa: From Eurafrique to Afro-Europa.
Wits University Press.
Ake, C. (1981). The political economy of Africa. Longman.
Bayart, J (2009). The politics of the belly. Polity Press.
Coleman, J. (1958). Nigeria: Background to nationalism. University of California
Press.
Crowder, M. (1964). Indirect rule: French and British style. Africa: Journal of
the International African Institute, 34(3), 197–205.
Gilley, B. (2017): The case for colonialism. Third World Quarterly. https://doi.
org/10.1080/01436597.2017.1369037 (withdrawn).
Joseph, R. (1987). Democracy and prebendal politics in Nigeria: The rise and fall
of the second republic. Cambridge University Press.
Khan, S. (2017). The case against “The case for colonialism”. https://www.cato.
org/publications/commentary/case-against-case-colonialism. Accessed March
31, 2020.
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F o l g e r , dat is F o l k g a r , nog overig in den geslachtsnaam
F o l g e r a , enz. enz. Al deze Friesche namen hangen weêr samen
met soortgelijke namen, aan Hollanders, Vlamingen, Neder- en
Hoog-Duitschers in Duitschland, aan Engelschen en Skandinaviërs
eigen; bij voorbeeld aan geslachtsnamen als F o l k e r t s ,
Vo l k e r s , Vo l k a e r t s , Vo l m e r i n c k , Vo l l b e d i n g ,
F o l e r s , V o l k e r i n g , V o l q u a r d t s e n , en met plaatsnamen
als V o l b r i n g e n (F o l k b r e c h t i n g e n ), een dorp bij Soest in
Westfalen; V o l m e r i n k , eene sate bij Ahaus in Westfalen;
V o l l m a r i n g e n , een dorp bij Horb in Zwaben;
V o l k e r i n k h o v e , dorp in Fransch-Vlaanderen, Frankrijk, [279]
(Departement du Nord); V o l k e r s w u r t h , gehucht bij Meldorf in
Dithmarschen; V o l k w a r d i n g e n , dorp bij Soltau in Hanover, en
vele anderen meer. Dit alles strekt maar om den lezer de
belangrijkheid en den omvang der Friesche namenstudie in het
algemeen als met eene enkele vingerwijzing aan te toonen. [280]
Niet verre van de Workumer-Hel is nog een poel, die den wel wat
bijzonderen naam draagt van D e L i a c h t e - M a r , de Lichtemeer.
Of deze naam ook in eenig verband (of tegenstelling?) staat met
dien zwarten helnaam, kan ik niet beslissen, maar acht ik wel
waarschijnlijk.
Intusschen, wij moeten nog verder terug uit het licht tot de duisternis,
uit het Christelijke klooster naar de heidensche hel.
Het komt mij niet onwaarschijnlijk voor, dat de namen der twee
dorpen, die het naaste bij deze Trynwouder-hel liggen, in verband
staan met dat oud stuk heidendom. Oudkerk als de [283]oudste, de
eerste, langen tijd de eenige Christenkerk in deze Wouden, reeds
vroegtijdig of terstond na de invoering des Christendoms in dat oord,
juist dáár gesticht als tegenwicht tegen het heidendom, dat daar, bij
dat helle-oord, bijzonderlijk in bloei stond.
Eene derde hel was er, of is er, in Ferwerderadeel, alweêr in het lage
land, onder Hallum, in de zoogenoemde Hallumer-Mieden. Daar
heet nog een stuk land, zekerlijk vroeger een poeltje, d e H e l ; en
een ander in de nabijheid, door een dijkje half omgeven, en hierdoor
nog zooveel te meer het voorkomen van een droog gelegd poeltje
vertoonende, draagt nog den vollen ouden naam van d e
H e l s d o a r , de Helsdeur.
Dezen volledigen naam treffen wij ook elders aan. Zoo was daar nog
in de vorige eeuw een poel of kolk nabij het dorp Birdaard in
Dantumadeel, die den naam van d e H e l d o a r droeg, op de kaart
van Schotanus als Healdoor misschreven. In de 16de eeuw lag bij
deze hellekolk eene sate die in eene oorkonde van den jare 1581
vermeld staat als „de sate genoemt de Helldoer te Berdaert” 2, en in
eene andere van 1580 als Heldoor. Sedert is die kolk dicht gemaakt
en tot land geworden, en die oude naam is daardoor bij bet volk in
vergetelheid gekomen. Maar in den naam K o l k h u z e n , heden ten
dage eigen aan twee saten aldaar, blijft de herinnering aan deze
hellekolk, aan deze helsdeur bewaard. 3
De naam Helsdeur komt ook nog voor in het naburige gewest West-
Friesland, bewesten Flie. Hij is aldaar eigen aan eenen [284]fellen
stroom, in het groote West-Friesche zeegat tusschen het eiland
Texel en den hedendaagschen vasten wal van Noord-Holland, ook
door de Friesche zeelieden steeds d e H e l s d o a r genoemd.
(Halbertsma, Lexicon frisicum, bladz. 407). En ook in den naam
van D e ( n ) H e l d e r (Heldoar, Hella-dora), eene zeer oude buurt
aldaar aan den vasten wal, die thans wel eene stad mag heeten, is
een toegang tot de onderwereld nog te herkennen.
Is daar niemand, die zulk een paaltje daar weêr herstelt? Eene
zichtbare, tastbare prediking zoude ’t den volke weêr zijn, over het
derde gebod des Heeren:
„Gy en sult den name des Heeren uwes Godts niet ydelick
[285]gebruycken; want de Heere en sal niet onschuldigh houden, die
synen name ydelick gebruyckt.”
Deze oude woordvorm vinden wij dan ook nog heden terug in
sommige plaatsnamen van Zuid-westelijk Friesland, volkomen in de
zelfde beteekenis als in de hellenamen uit het overige deel des
lands, hier voren reeds vermeld.
Opmerkelijk is het, dat wij dus, zoo noordelijk en oostelijk als Grouw
gelegen is, die oude uitspraak van hel als hol nog aantreffen, eene
uitspraak die daar ter plaatse en in den omtrek thans geheel niet
meer voorkomt noch bekend is. Immers in de zeventiende eeuw
moge zij zich tot Bolsward en Sneek hebben uitgestrekt, benoorden
en beoosten die steden werd zij toen ter tijde, en zeker eeuwen
vroeger reeds niet meer gehoord.
Bezuiden Sneek komt nog heden een bijzondere hellenaam voor,
eene aardige weêrga van de H e l d o a r r e n bij Birdaard en bij
Hallum. Dat is de H o l p o a r t e , de Hellepoort, zooals eene sate
heet, die al weêr in een waterrijk oord, even benoorden het dorp
Jutrijp gelegen is. Daarnevens is nog een poel, heden ten dage de
H o l p o a r t e p o e l geheeten. Deze poel is ongetwijfeld, in de
meening der heidensche Friezen, de eigenlijke Hellepoort geweest;
maar de naam is van het water, van den poel overgegaan op de
sate, op het huis dat later daar nevens is gesticht geworden, juist
zoo als ook bij de Workumer-Hel en elders heeft plaats gegrepen.
Ik vond ook nog een oude hellenaam, die thans niet meer bekend is,
naar het schijnt; te weten: de S k r a e r d e r - H o l of Schraarder-Hel,
in eene oorkonde van den jare 1543 S c r a e r d e r a h o l genoemd,
in Wonseradeel, tusschen Pingjum, Surich en Wons.