THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN PRESSURES ON NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS: 1995-1998

THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN PRESSURES ON NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS: 1995-1998

Abstract:

The study’s main thrust was the analysis of the impact of the limited economic sanctions imposed against Nigeria because of the obnoxious policies of the Abacha military government. In addition, the study found out who really suffer the impact of sanctions. It is the ordinary people and not the miiitary top brass and their civilian collaborators who made up the ruling class in Nigeria. Secondary source materials were used. The materials included textbooks on economic sanctions imposed against other countries. Moreover, the Nigerian government publications on the imposition of economic sanctions against the country were used. In addition, local and international dailies and magazines that featured articles that had bearing on economic sanctions against Nigeria, were equally used. Also used were graduate theses on economic sanctions, published and unpublished seminal papers and academic journals. These were subjected to systematic content analysis. In fact, the imposition of limited economic sanctions against Nigeria by the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United States of America failed. The sanctions failed because Nigeria’s crude oil was not embargoed. A sector that brought 70% to 80% of foreign earnings to the government coffers. The failure of the sanctioning states to sacrifice their economic interest was a major factor in the failure of the sanctions. Moreover, the unwillingness of the sanctioning states to freeze assets of top Nigerian military officers and their civilian collaborators in foreign land was another reason why the sanctions failed. All countries in the world and most importantly, countries that are regional powers should encourage others to abide by implementing economic sanctions so imposed against an aggressive state. The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council should not use their veto power to render ineffective economic sanctions against an aggressive state.

THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN PRESSURES ON NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS: 1995-1998