The political economy of an oligarchy: the case of Kano's bourgeoisie
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Abstract
This paper is an attempt to illustrate the relative importance of class politics for the development of entrepreneurs. To do this, it will examine the development of indigenous entrepreneurs in the
manufacturing sector of Kano. This exercise will show that entry
into this sector of Kano's state economy is determined by one's
access to certain services crucial for successful performance.
Access to these services and privileges is in turn determined by the
structure of relationships to which one belongs in the society. This
entry process could be difficult, if not impossible, without
contacts which are facilitated by this class affiliation. This class
and its attendant behaviors have had a serious impact on the
socio-economic development of Kano, and on indigenous entrepreneurs
in particular.
For clear presentation, this paper is divided into three parts.
The first section traces the evolution of a class of oligarchs who
control the economy of Kano, whose activities therefore affect the
pattern of investment in the various sectors of the economy, and
thus the development of entrepreneurs in these sectors. This survey
starts from the nineteenth century and progresses into the
twentieth. The second part of the paper dwells on the role of this
class in the political economy of Kano since the 195Os. Here, a
thorough examination is made of how these people manipulate policies
and administrative machineries for their own benefit and how such
machination determines or affects the pattern of investment· in the
economy in general. The final section examines some of the
consequences of such socio-economic structure on economic
development, the indigenous entrepreneurs in particular.
Description
African Studies Center Working Paper No. 89
License
Copyright © 1984, by the author.