Development and Governmental Corruption – Materialism and Political Fragmentation in Nigeria

In: The journal of modern African studies: a quarterly survey of politics, economics & related topics in contemporary Africa, Band 21, Heft 2, S. 215-233

Abstract

Some have tried to explain corruption in the Third World by reference to anachronistic traditions and to the special pressures on officials in developing countries. In this article, I argue that, at least in the case of Nigeria, the roots of corruption go deeper, to a materialism and a political fragmentation that are the products of a moment in development. After a schematic review of the relevant literature, I examine the causes of Nigerian corruption, and conclude with the suggestion that the future of good government depends on an expansion of the private economy.