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This monograph highlights the necessity for taking preventive measures in the form of peace-building as a sustainable and long-term solution to conflicts in West Africa, with a special focus on the Mano River Union countries. Apart from the Mano River Union countries, efforts at resolving other conflicts in say, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, C?te d'Ivoire and Nigeria, have suffered from a lack of attention on the post-conflict imperatives of building peace in order to ensure that sustainable peace is achieved. Given the often intractable and inter-related nature of conflicts in this region, it argues for the need to revisit the existing mechanisms of conflict resolution in the sub-region with a view to canvassing a stronger case for stakeholders towards adopting the peace-building strategy as a more practical and sustainable way of avoiding wars in the sub-region. Peace-building in consonance with its infrastructure is a more sustainable approach to ensuring regional peace and stability and, therefore, ensuring development for the peoples of West Africa. Dr Osita Agbu is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos. His areas of specialization include Peace and Conflict studies, Governance and Democratization and Technology and Development. He was until recently, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Developing Economies, Chiba, Japan.

This monograph highlights the necessity for taking preventive measures in the form of peace-building as a sustainable and long-term solution to conflicts in West Africa, with a special focus on the Mano River Union countries. Apart from the Mano River Union countries, efforts at resolving other conflicts in say, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria, have suffered from a lack of attention on the post-conflict imperatives of building peace in order to ensure that sustainable peace is achieved. Given the often intractable and inter-related nature of conflicts in this region, it argues for the need to revisit the existing mechanisms of conflict resolution in the sub-region with a view to canvassing a stronger case for stakeholders towards adopting the peace-building strategy as a more practical and sustainable way of avoiding wars in the sub-region. Peace-building in consonance with its infrastructure is a more sustainable approach to ensuring regional peace and stability and, therefore, ensuring development for the peoples of West Africa.

This Discussion Paper explores the challenges that ethnicity poses for democratisation and development in Africa. It provides an overview of the literature on ethnicity and democratisation and an analysis of the trends on the continent since the end of the Cold War. In this regard, it critically examines perspectives on the impact of ethnicity on democracy and analyses the ethnicity-citizenship nexus in the context of the national democratic question in Africa. This provides the basis for the analysis of emerging challenges facing Africa and the way forward. The paper provides additional insights into the ongoing debates about democracy and the nation-state question in Africa and is of interest to scholars, practitioners and the general reader.

This paper examines the linkage between globalisation as a phenomenon and technology as the catalyst on the state of the agricultural sector in Africa. It is observed that though agriculture is the dominant economic sector in Africa, it is currently facing a food crisis of monumental dimensions. Figures pertaining to food production growth rates and the percentage share of agriculture in total labour force are presented to highlight the poor state of this sector. Apart from the impact of globalization on the sector, the paper sought to determine the link between technological capacity and the food crisis in Africa on the one hand, and the prospects for increased technological inputs in African agriculture on the other. Fundamentally, the paper argues that Africa cannot begin to benefit from global developments in trade, technology and therefore improving the welfare of its peoples until food security is reasonably attained. It recommends the use of science-based technology generation to ensure sustainable agricultural development. African governments are called upon to balance the vicissitudes of the multilateral framework on agriculture with their immediate national objectives. Finally, the author opines that a brighter future awaits those countries that can competently manage the impact of globalization on this sector, while infusing appropriate technologies to ensure food security. (Afr Dev/GIGA)

This paper examines the linkage between globalisation as a phenomenon and technology as the catalyst on the state of the agricultural sector in Africa. It is observed that though agriculture is the dominant economic sector in Africa, it is currently facing a food crisis of monumental dimensions. Figures pertaining to food production growth rates and the percentage share of agriculture in total labour force are presented to highlight the poor state of this sector. Apart from the impact of globalization on the sector, the paper sought to determine the link between technological capacity and the food crisis in Africa on the one hand, and the prospects for increased technological inputs in African agriculture on the other. Fundamentally, the paper argues that Africa cannot begin to benefit from global developments in trade, technology and therefore improving the welfare of its peoples until food security is reasonably attained. It recommends the use of science-based technology generation to ensure sustainable agricultural development. African governments are called upon to balance the vicissi tudes of the multilateral framework on agriculture with their immediate national objectives. Finally, the author opines that a brighter future awaits those coun tries that can competently manage the impact of globalization on this sector, while infusing appropriate technologies to ensure food security.

This paper grapples with the question of Nigeria's federal practice. It argues that there is a need to re-examine federalism in the country with a view to restructuring the system so that it reflects the ethnological and political realities on the ground. It proposes the de-concentration or decentralisation of the powers of the central government, which increased astronomically during military rule to the disadvantage of the component units - the states. In addressing this subject matter, the paper critically examines the theoretical basis for the notion of federalism, seeking to determine Nigeria's suitability as a federal state in the first instance. (Afr Dev/DÜI)

The democratic opening presented by Nigeria's successful transition to civil rule (June 1998 to May 1999) unleashed a host of hitherto repressed or dormant political forces. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine demands by these forces on the state and outright criminality and mayhem. Post-transition Nigeria is experiencing the proliferation of ethnic militia movements purportedly representing, and seeking to protect, their ethnic interests in a country, which appears incapable of providing the basic welfare needs of its citizens. It is against the background of collective disenchantment with the Nigerian state, and the resurgence of ethnic identity politics that this research interrogates the growing challenge posed by ethnic militias to the Nigerian democracy project. The central thesis is that the over-centralization of power in Nigeria's federal practice and the failure of post-transitional politics in genuinely addressing the "National Question, has resulted in the emergence of ethnic militias as a specific response to state incapacity. The short- and long-term threats posed by this development to Nigeria's fragile democracy are real, and justify the call for a National Conference that will comprehensively address the demands of the ethnic nationalities. ; CONTENTS -- Introduction -- Colonial Rule, Indigenous Societies and the State -- Democratisation, Ethno-Nationalism and Conflicts - A Review -- Democratisation and Violence -- Nigeria's Ethnic Militias - Origin and Objectives -- O'odua Peoples Congress (OPC) Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) -- The Bakassi Boys -- Militant Ethnicity in the Middle-Belt -- Arewa Peoples Congress (APC) -- The Niger Delta Militias -- State Response to Militant Ethnicity -- Conflicts, Democracy and the Survival of the State -- Federal Practice and the National Question -- Concluding RemarksReferencesAppendix 1. The Aba DeclarationAppendix 2. APC Mission StatementAppendix 3. The Kaima Declaration

This paper grapples with the question of Nigeria's federal practice. It argues that there is a need to re-examine federalism in the country with a view to restructuring the system so that it reflects the ethnological and political realities on the ground. It proposes the de-concentration or decentralisation of the powers of the central government, which increased astronomically during military rule to the disadvantage of the component units—the states. In addressing this subject matter, the paper critically examines the theoretical basis for the notion of federalism, seeking to determine Nigeria's suitability as a federal state in the first instance. A historical overview of the origin of Nigeria's federalism— alongside a discussion of present-day predicaments—is presented in the preliminary analysis. Subsequently, the persisting problems in Nigeria's federalism—like the monopoly of state power, revenue allocation, state creation and federal character—are re-visited with a view to determining the situation in the post-transition democratic environment. Finally, the paper makes a case for the constitutional division of the country into geo-political zones, the rotation of power amongst these zones, and the decentralisation of power away from the centre ft) the states and local governments.

This article analyzes the political and economic controversies and intrigues associated with the Ajaokuta project over the years, and brings out in bold relief how this has adversely affected Nigeria's industrialization. In order to fast-track Nigeria's industrialization and technological take-off centred around the Iron and Steel sector, several recommendations are made. The first, relates to the retaining of only the relevant and viable sections of the steel complex, and provide adequate working capital for these. In the alternative, government should create an enabling environment, and commercialize completed plants in the complex, or thirdly, out rightly privatize, or lease out public steel plants to interested investors. (NJIA - Nigerian Inst Int Aff/DÜI)

This article examines the external dimensions of the festering national question in Nigeria. It notes that while the demands of the oil minorities for an equitable share and control of oil threatens the hegemony of the dominant groups which control the Nigerian state, the Nigerian monocultural economy and foreign dominance of the oil industry, undermines the capacity of the state of effectively mediate the struggles for the control of oil. This has translated into the protests of the ethnic minorities of the Niger Delta against marginalisation and exploitation by the Nigerian State and the oil multinationals. Such protests have often been met with repression, thus deepening tensions in the Delta, and attracting a lot of national and international attention. Thus, except the Nigerian State, the oil multinationals and other global actors in the Delta adopt the principles of fairness, equity and recognition of the rights of the minority ethnic nationalites of the Niger Delta, the crisis of oil and the national question in Nigeria would continue to deepen. (NJIA - Nigerian Inst Int Aff/DÜI)