Lecture | Studium Generale
Democracy and Governance in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects
- Date
- Tuesday 8 April 2025
- Time
- Explanation
- Free and open to all. Please register below.
- Address
-
Anna van Buerenplein
Anna van Buerenplein 301
2595 DG The Hague - Room
- 2.21
All around the world, countries are challenging the received wisdom that democracy leads to good governance. Nigeria provides a compelling case study of this debate. Since transitioning from military rule in 1999, the country has held regular elections, yet questions remain about how well its democratic institutions serve the people. As a resource-rich, post-colonial nation with deep ethnic and regional divisions, Nigeria highlights the challenges of governing a diverse and complex modern state. How do politicians navigate power and public resources? Does democracy necessarily lead to better governance? And how do governance practices shape, and in turn, respond to patterns of migration? On this evening, Akinyinka Akinyoade, Leila Demarest, and David Ehrhardt will explore these questions with you.
Registration
Please register here. LU-Card holders can attend without registering. Those who register will receive a reminder with practical details the day before the lecture.
About the speakers
Akinyinka Akinyoade is the Chair of the Researchers’ Assembly of the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL). He is a Hydrologist turned Demographer. A Senior Researcher at the ASCL, Akinyinka gives lectures on Quantitative Research Methodology; his latest research activities are on migration, food and water security (scenarios for Africa 2020-2050), and agricultural value chains. He is a member of the collaborative research group Governance, Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Development. His other research focuses on population health and development, with special attention on fertility dynamics and family planning in West Africa, and decentralization (public service delivery in education and health sectors of Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania and Indonesia).
Leila Demarest is Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Science, Leiden University, specialized in the study of Sub-Saharan African politics. Her research interests include democratization, peace and conflict dynamics, social movements, political parties, political communication, and ethnicity and religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. One of her most recent research projects focuses on power-sharing and party politics in Nigeria’s National Assembly. Find out more about this project here.
David Ehrhardt is Associate Professor in International Development at Leiden University College The Hague. He studies governance and institutional change in Africa, with a focus on the role of non-state leaders (such as traditional and religious leaders) in promoting changes that enhance development. Since 2013, he has worked at Leiden University College on various research projects on Nigerian governance and educational innovation. His most recent book on Nigeria, written with 11 Nigerian experts, focuses on the roles of Nigerian traditional leaders in security governance. David also co-chairs the Leiden Africa Platform, the network of all Leiden staff who work on issues related to the African continent. He co-hosts the Africa Knows podcast.
More information about this and other Studium Generale events