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Energy & democracy / Other publications

Energy and Development: lessons from Nigeria

23/06/2008 By Anna Khakee

Nigeria, and in particular the Niger Delta, have all the components of failed development: deep poverty, corruption and neglect, disenfranchised ethnic minorities, self-serving multinational oil companies, environmental degradation, destruction of livelihoods, gang violence, civil strife, and despair.

This policy brief of Anna Khakee examines how Nigeria’s conflict over energy has affected development and how the European Union has attempted to tackle the development-energy linkage. It highlights the main elements of Nigeria’s “oil curse” and how European Union policies have been split between support for a stable, democratic and economically advancing Nigeria on the one hand, and for secure energy supplies on the other hand. Leading up to 2020 the nexus between oil, development and European security policies in Nigeria will become more difficult to manage; a gear change in EU engagement is required. See more

Keywords

Conflict prevention Democracy promotion Development Development aid Nigeria

Related publications

• EU democracy promotion in Nigeria: between realpolitik and idealism
• The Failure and Collapse of the African State: on the Example of Nigeria

Bio author: Anna Khakee

Anna Khakee holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. She has recently acted as a consultant to the UNDP, Amnesty International, UN University for Peace, and the Swedish Government Committee on Constitutional Reform.