Politics of Neo-liberalism in the Oil and Gas Sector of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
ustainable growth and development. The oil and gas sector since the beginning of the Fourth Republic has been taken through series of neoliberal reforms with a view to addressing crises bedevilling the sector in Nigeria’s economy. The study specifically examined politics of neoliberalism in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria's Fourth Republic. The study was guided by dependency, state interventionist, institutional and resource curse theoretical orientations. While relying on descriptive and exploratory research designs, the study adopted Mixed Methods Research (MMR) – a triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Instruments of questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Quantitative data analysis was done using simple percentage, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Research findings established that neoliberal reforms in the current oil and gas sector have deepened social inequalities with the rising cost of living and failure to adequately address environmental sustainability, raising questions about the holistic effectiveness of the role of state structure in the sector. Again, the findings further exposed that the major interest driving energy policy making under neoliberalism is market forces and the corresponding drive for primitive capital accumulation at both local and international levels. Given the continued interest of government towards embracing neoliberal reforms in the sector with limited concerns about the wellbeing of the people, the study concluded by expressing pessimism about the future of oil and gas sector under the current administration. Hence, major recommendations include south-south cooperation and state-led approach for sustainable development of the Nigeria’s economy.
Keywords: Oil and gas sector, Fourth Republic, neoliberalism, Nigeria, Politics
Word Count: 282
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Keywords
Oil and gas sector, Fourth Republic, neoliberalism, Nigeria, Politics
Citation
kate Turabian