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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | The political & economic effects of Nigerian 'shari'a' on southern Niger |
Author: | Kirwin, Matt |
Year: | 2005 |
Periodical: | Review of African Political Economy |
Volume: | 32 |
Issue: | 104-105 |
Pages: | 407-415 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Niger Nigeria Northern Nigeria |
Subjects: | informal sector boundaries Islamic law |
External link: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03056240500329320 |
Abstract: | The implementation, in 1999, of 'shari'a' law in Northern Nigeria, and the subsequent outlaw of activities such as drinking, prostitution and gambling, changed the cross-border dynamics of relations between Northern Nigeria and Niger. Because Niger has been and continues to be a secular State, it stands in contrast to the 'shari'a'-based government in Northern Nigeria. Nigerians who sought access to alcohol and prostitutes were obliged to travel across the border to Niger, and this demand created a supply. Based on field enquiries in Mai Mujia, a town relatively close to the Nigerian-Niger border, this paper explores these developments. It concludes that trans-border business is an important resource for economic development, but it is not capable of being integrated into a regulatory framework that may support the State. As most of the increased economic activity is informal in nature, little of it benefits other segments of the population. It is also important to identify the negative aspects of the changes that accompany the economic advantages. A rise in patron-clientele networks, possible increases in HIV/AIDS cases, and stress on beleaguered infrastructure are drawbacks. Bibliogr. [ASC Leiden abstract] |