To deal with the tensions created by ethnic diversity and inequalities, many African countries have instituted affirmative action programmes ranging from informal ethnic balancing to explicit quotas. This study examines the reasons for affirmative action in Nigeria and the effectiveness of the...

Concern about the environment in colonial northern Nigeria developed out of a series of controversies and practices, particularly those relating to agriculture. Increasingly, local practices that have sustained the population and the environment for centuries are subjected to “scientific”...

This introduction provides an overview of the special issue. The papers in this issue contribute to our understanding of the contrasting histories of Ghana and Nigeria. The papers confirm the importance of horizontal inequalities as a source of political instability and violent conflict, and...