Governance and traditional rulership in northern Nigeria

Abstract

Traditional rulers have long provided security and stability in Nigeria. However, although they play an important governance role, they are not adequately acknowledged within governance literature and discourse. Primarily, this is because the latter are predominantly western-centred and thereby do not adequately acknowledge the nuances and differences in governance practices in other regions of the world. This article provides a Global South reading of governance, specifically focusing on traditional rulership in northern Nigeria. The article explores how and why traditional rulers wield and exercise power within their communities and provides new insights on how informal actors like traditional rulers can – and cannot – influence the governance arena, arguing for greater inclusion in the literature and discourse on the subject.