SANCTIONS AND STATES BEHAVIOUR: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA UNDER SANI ABACHA REGIME, 1993-1998
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Abstract
This study examines the relationship between international sanctions and state behavior, using Nigeria under the regime of Sani Abacha (1993–1998) as a case study. It interrogates the extent to which sanctions, imposed largely in response to human rights
violations and democratic backsliding, influenced political decisions, governance patterns, and socio-economic outcomes within the Nigerian state. Chapter One provides the background to the study, situating sanctions within the broader framework of international relations and foreign policy instruments. It outlines the research problem, objectives, and significance, emphasizing the persistent debate over whether sanctions effectively compel authoritarian regimes to alter their behavior or merely deepen internal repression and economic hardship. Chapter Two offers a detailed examination of Nigeria under Abacha’s regime, highlighting the consolidation of military power, suppression of political opposition, and widespread human rights abuses. This chapter establishes the internal conditions that prompted international condemnation and set the stage for sanctions. Chapter Three analyzes the various sanctions imposed on Nigeria by international actors, including diplomatic isolation, economic restrictions, and Nigeria’s suspension from key international organizations. It explores the motivations behind these measures and the mechanisms through which they were enforced. Chapter Four assesses the consequences of these sanctions on Nigeria’s development and growth. It argues that while sanctions increased external pressure on the regime, their impact was complex and multifaceted. Economically, they contributed to reduced foreign investment and strained international relations. Politically, however, the regime demonstrated resilience, often circumventing restrictions while maintaining internal control. Socially, the burden of sanctions disproportionately affected ordinary citizens rather than the ruling elite Finally, Chapter Five concludes that sanctions, in the Nigerian case, had limited success in altering state behavior during Abacha’s rule. Instead, they exposed the challenges of using external pressure to influence entrenched authoritarian systems. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the effectiveness of sanctions as a policy tool, suggesting that without complementary internal dynamics and international cohesion, their capacity to induce meaningful political change remains constrained
violations and democratic backsliding, influenced political decisions, governance patterns, and socio-economic outcomes within the Nigerian state. Chapter One provides the background to the study, situating sanctions within the broader framework of international relations and foreign policy instruments. It outlines the research problem, objectives, and significance, emphasizing the persistent debate over whether sanctions effectively compel authoritarian regimes to alter their behavior or merely deepen internal repression and economic hardship. Chapter Two offers a detailed examination of Nigeria under Abacha’s regime, highlighting the consolidation of military power, suppression of political opposition, and widespread human rights abuses. This chapter establishes the internal conditions that prompted international condemnation and set the stage for sanctions. Chapter Three analyzes the various sanctions imposed on Nigeria by international actors, including diplomatic isolation, economic restrictions, and Nigeria’s suspension from key international organizations. It explores the motivations behind these measures and the mechanisms through which they were enforced. Chapter Four assesses the consequences of these sanctions on Nigeria’s development and growth. It argues that while sanctions increased external pressure on the regime, their impact was complex and multifaceted. Economically, they contributed to reduced foreign investment and strained international relations. Politically, however, the regime demonstrated resilience, often circumventing restrictions while maintaining internal control. Socially, the burden of sanctions disproportionately affected ordinary citizens rather than the ruling elite Finally, Chapter Five concludes that sanctions, in the Nigerian case, had limited success in altering state behavior during Abacha’s rule. Instead, they exposed the challenges of using external pressure to influence entrenched authoritarian systems. The study contributes to a broader understanding of the effectiveness of sanctions as a policy tool, suggesting that without complementary internal dynamics and international cohesion, their capacity to induce meaningful political change remains constrained
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