Nigeria's political scientists gathered at the University of Ibadan for the 35th Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) conference, delivering a stark verdict on 26 years of democracy. The message is loud and clear: Nigeria needs a bold, homegrown ideological foundation, not recycled Western neoliberal scripts. To build a true developmental state, the political elite must commit class suicide, drop selfish ambitions, and put the nation first.
Why Nigeria's Political Elite Must Commit Class Suicide
Since 1999, Nigeria's democratic journey has been a marathon with no finish line. Governance is far from good, and the 2027 elections are already heating up the polity. While politicians play their usual power games, intellectuals must push the boundaries beyond self-serving aspirations. We need elite nationalism.
Scholars like Acemoglu, Robinson, and Dercon have shown that inclusive institutions only happen when the elite step up. The political class must commit a kind of class suicide, abandoning their greedy accumulation to serve the people. Only then can we take a real gamble on development, deliberately pulling efforts together to build a state that lifts citizens out of poverty.
How African Leaders Can Escape the Neoliberal Trap
Look at the leaders who actually moved the needle. Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore and Paul Kagame in Rwanda did not follow the Western playbook. They charted their own paths. From the Asian Tigers to China and India, these nations smartly dodged the neoliberal capitalist trap that has strangled so many African states.
China chose state-controlled capitalism, blending central planning with market drive. India looked the IMF in the eye, negotiated hard, and shook off all loan obligations by 2003. African states must learn from this. We can never build a sovereign future under the suffocating gaze of Western neoliberalism and its toxic conditionalities.
What Awolowo and Dudley Teach Us About Nation-Building
Chief Obafemi Awolowo understood this deeply. He was one of Nigeria's most cerebral politicians, giving his intellectual all to Nigeria's development. Awolowo's blueprint rested on four pillars: federalism, socialism, democracy, and mental magnitude. He argued that a federal constitution suits our multilingual reality, while democratic socialism would guarantee economic freedom, free education, healthcare, and full employment.
But Professor Billy Dudley brought the necessary skepticism. He challenged Awolowo's Wheare model of federalism, reminding us that transitioning is never automatic. We cannot just copy Singapore without confronting the authoritarian baggage that comes with it. We need an authentic African model that fits our unique postcolonial realities.
Is Political Science Losing Touch With Real Nigerians?
Meanwhile, political science as a discipline is losing touch with the streets. Ordinary Nigerians are battling insecurity, poverty, and hunger. They do not care about your retrospective voting, game theory, or computational analysis. The more sophisticated the methodology gets, the wider the relevance gap becomes. Political science must leave the ivory tower and connect with the real world.
How Can Political Science Adapt to AI and Real-World Needs?
The discipline needs intentional gatekeeping. First, it must rebrand to be public-facing, co-producing knowledge with civil society and grassroots movements. Second, the curriculum must adapt to current realities like artificial intelligence. We need work-integrated learning, internships, and real-world skills that equip graduates to survive and thrive in public service, think tanks, and the private sector. The era of abstract theories without practical application is over.
What was the theme of the 35th NPSA Conference?
The theme was 26 Years of Democracy in Nigeria: Reflections on Praxis and Challenges, focusing on evaluating democratic governance since 1999.
What does class suicide mean for Nigerian politicians?
Class suicide means the political elite must abandon selfish, accumulative governance and commit to patriotic, inclusive development that prioritizes citizens' welfare.
Why is neoliberal capitalism criticized in African governance?
Neoliberal capitalism is criticized because it acts as a trap that strangles African states, forcing them into Western conditionalities instead of allowing sovereign economic progress.
How should political science adapt to modern Nigeria?
Political science must leave the ivory tower by becoming public-facing, updating curricula to include AI, real-world skills, and work-integrated learning that directly impacts society.