Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5518-2178

Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

12-2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

International Relations

Second Department

Economics

Reader 1

Peter Uvin

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Abstract

This paper will dissect urbanization and poverty in Nigeria as a case study of the challenges of underdevelopment and the lingering effects of colonialism in Africa. To draw a complete understanding of challenges faced by developing nations facing systemic underdevelopment, high poverty, and low productivity– nations like Nigeria, my research will uncover colonial impacts and post-colonial policies that initiated urban poverty and underdevelopment outcomes we see today. The purpose of my thesis is to encompass existing fragmented academia on the causes and consequences of underdevelopment and connect historical implications to current impacts of global development today including the influence of colonial activities on developing nations, modern governance challenges, failing foreign aid agendas, export-oriented economies, and other related fields. I will explain the intersection between these issues, to understand the current paradox of systemic underdevelopment, social inequality, and social corruption affecting post-colonial developing nations today. Outcomes and reinforcers of systemic underdevelopment include; low productivity, resource dependence, educational deficiencies, underemployment, industrial and infrastructure underdevelopment, an unskilled labor force, slum housing, the destruction of traditional industry, government and corporate corruption and an unpredictable, unattractive economy, and as a consequence an impoverished and neglected population. We will explore the necessity of decentralized development guided by local public experts in the affected regions. Additionally, I will highlight key issues that must be addressed to achieve successful, small-scale, precision-based development. These include combating weak and corrupt governance, rethinking the effectiveness of foreign aid, addressing institutional inefficiencies and economic dependencies rooted in colonial practices, and implementing stronger infrastructural and housing policies to support both industrial growth and human capital development.

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