Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study explores the relationship between post-colonial state formation and the persistent crisis of governance in Nigeria. Gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria attempted to construct a modern state upon the administrative legacies inherited from British colonial rule. However, these externally imposed structures failed to align with the country’s complex socio-political realities, resulting in systemic fragmentation and weak institutional performance. The central aim of the study is to examine how the colonial mode of governance continues to shape state capacity and governmental effectiveness in contemporary Nigeria. A qualitative research approach was adopted, utilizing comparative political analysis. Data were gathered through official documents and academic literature. The findings reveal that the Nigerian state faces major challenges in asserting monopoly over the use of force, delivering public services, and generating political legitimacy. The colonial legacy—marked by indirect rule, centralized administration, and exclusionary governance—has fostered an environment of ethnic division, bureaucratic incoherence, and clientelist political networks. These conditions have exacerbated institutional fragility and limited the prospects for effective governance. The study concludes that addressing the crisis of governance requires a multidimensional approach involving deepened democratization, decentralization of power, and institutional reform toward transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.
Source: Mevzu – Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
Author: Süleyman Dal
Institution: Adnan Menderes University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7164848902