US FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS NIGERIA: INVESTIGATING AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY PROMOTION IN NIGERIA DURING CLINTON’S PRESIDENCY

This thesis investigates President Bill Clinton’s policy towards Nigeria from 1993 to 2001 paying particular attention to his democracy promotion agenda. Although en passant, many studies have argued that his administration failed to actively influence democratic transition in Nigeria. However, these studies did not sufficiently explain causes of this policy failure. Using the Bureaucratic Politics Model of Foreign Policy Analysis, this thesis examines the causal mechanism of the United States’ failure to effectively promote democracy in Nigeria. This research provides an original contribution to knowledge by arguing that President Bill Clinton’s democracy promotion policy towards Nigeria between 1993 and 2001 failed due to the existence of policy incoordination and influence of bureaucratic politics within his administration. The thesis does not attempt to discredit President Clinton’s concern and attempts to influence Nigeria’s democratic transition. However, it argues that the lack of cooperation and agreement on policy direction amongst the various channels employed, triggered inconsistency which in turn resulted in policy failure. Hence, this thesis demonstrates that the bureaucratic politics paradigm offers the most significant reason for the failure President Clinton’s democracy promotion in Nigeria. In a broader context, this thesis recommends that future American presidential administrations seeking to promote democracy abroad must significantly establish a clear chain of command and ensure adequate coordination of policies among its departments and agencies with a view to avoiding policy delay, inconsistency and overall failure.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Oso, Adeniyi Olukayode

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/6e635ab2-9a26-4d13-a5c9-19b0f61a2f9b/download