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This book analyzes how neo-liberal state economic policies and political reforms have impacted on state-society relations, economic and class configurations, social composition of power, social welfare and cohesion in post-military Nigeria; and points to key policy recommendations that may be crucial in redirecting the future of the country.

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Introduction: State, Society and Economy in a Neo-liberal Regime; S.Adejumobi PART I: STATE, SOCIETY AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS The Press and the Democratic Question: Narrating Ethno-Religious Identities and Conflicts in Nigeria; W.Adebanwi Ethno-Religious Conflicts and National Security: Illustrations from the Middle Belt; S.Egwu Beyond Electoral Democracy: An Anatomy of Ethnic Minority Insurgency in Nigeria´s Oil Delta; C.Obi Women´s Empowerment; J.Sanda PART II: ECONOMIC ISSUES Economic Reforms and Social Welfare; A.Ariyo Corruption; T.Simbine

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"This is a finely conceptualized book with the potential to redefine the debate on democratic reforms and the nature of the state in arguably the most important country in sub-Saharan Africa: Nigeria. Said Adejumobi, himself a household name in Africanist political science, has assembled a formidable team of academics and scholar-activists. This volume will make an important addition to the emerging corpus on an important period in the political history of Nigeria." - Ebenezer Obadare, Assistant Professor of Sociology, the University of Kansas"This collection is the first major study that is available on Nigeria after a period of prolonged military rule. It offers a comprehensive review of the country s uneasy quest to consolidate democratic governance at a time of far-reaching socio-economic change. Readers will find it to be an accessible reference material produced by some of the leading students of politics, economy, and society in contemporary Nigeria." - Adebayo Olukoshi, Director, UN African Institute for Economic Development and Planning

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SAID ADEJUMOBI is the Chief of the Public Administration Section and Coordinator of the African Governance Report (AGR) at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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