Melber, HenningBjarnesen, JesperLanzano, CristianoMususa, Patience2023-05-152023-05-152023Henning Melber, Jesper Bjarnesen, Cristiano Lanzano & Patience Mususa (2023) Citizenship Matters: Explorations into the Citizen-State Relationship in Africa, Forum for Development Studies, 50:1, 35-58, DOI: 10.1080/08039410.2022.2145992.0803-9410 (print)1891-1765 (online)10.1080/08039410.2022.2145992http://hdl.handle.net/2263/90674Citizenship is a universal legal concept and norm. But its meaning and impact differ. Its codification and implementation are shaped by historical trajec- tories, political systems and state/government relations with members of society. State policy affects perceptions of citizenship and civic behaviour by those gov- erned. This paper engages with current challenges relating to citizenship in Africa South of the Sahara. It centres on academic and policy discussions on citi- zenship but also draws on media reports and secondary literature to explore whether promoting and embracing a positive notion of citizenship can be an oppor- tunity for states and governments as well as citizens. Could civic education be con- sidered a worthwhile investment in social stability and a shared identification with the common good? We conclude by making a case for a social contract, which reconciles particularistic identities (such as ethnicity) with citizenship and govern- ance under the rule of law as an investment into enhanced trust in a citizen-state relationship.en© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).CitizenshipSocial contractGovernanceStateCivil societyArticle