The Nigerian Paradox How Africa's Most Populous Nation Can Fulfill Its Destiny

Why does Nigeria thrive abroad but falter at home? The Nigerian Paradox delivers a gripping diagnosis of fractured social norms at the heart of Africa's most complex democracy.

The Nigerian Paradox is a bold and thought-provoking exploration of one of Africa's most complex national identities. This groundbreaking work delves into the striking contrast between the global success of Nigerians abroad and the persistent dysfunction within the Nigerian state. Through a powerful analysis of normlessness--its absence within Nigeria and its presence beyond--the book reframes the conversation around development, governance, and civil society.

Tracing the roots of Nigeria's normative collapse to its military era, the author challenges conventional wisdom and offers a fresh lens on the development-democracy discourse. With sharp insights and critical perspectives, The Nigerian Paradox illuminates the economic and political pressures shaping Africa's most populous nation, making a compelling case for re-centering norms in policy and scholarly debates.

Ebenezer Obadare is Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Washington, D.C. and Fellow at the University of South Africa's Institute of Theology. Before joining CFR, he was professor of sociology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Obadare is the author of numerous works on civil society and the state, and religion and politics in Africa, including, most recently, Pastoral Power, Clerical State: Pentecostalism, Gender, and Sexuality in Nigeria. He has written for Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, The Globe and Mail, and others. He was editor of Journal of Modern African Studies and is a contributing editor of Current History.