“The story of the post-independence economy of Nigeria, as most ex-colonial countries in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), is a mixed tale of good intentions, reforms, reversals and increased sense of the likely prolonged and lingering crisis of poverty and inequality. Good intensions derived from the recognition after independence that in order to shift emphasis from an economy predominantly based on primary agriculture (and commerce) to industry, the government would need to play a catalytic role. Successive national governments in Nigeria subsequently prepared development plans, which continue to be used as a way of outlining the authority’s development objectives and to demonstrate initiative in tackling the country’s developmental challenges.”
