A Necessary Evil? Re-evaluating Nigeria's Structural Adjustment Programme from a Historical Perspective, 1986-1999

Abstract

This paper examines Nigeria’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) from 1986 to 1999. The military government of General Ibrahim Babangida turned to the World Bank and IMF after oil prices collapsed and debt grew. SAP was meant to fix the economy, move it beyond oil, and bring stability. Yet, this paper shows that the programme deepened Nigeria’s social and economic problems. Using a historical method and relying on secondary sources, it reveals that policies such as currency devaluation, subsidy cuts, trade liberalisation, and privatisation caused high inflation, mass unemployment, and a decline in industry. SAP also reinforced authoritarianism, provoked social unrest, and eroded state legitimacy. The paper situates Nigeria’s case within the broader African debates on neoliberalism. It argues that economic reform cannot be understood without considering its historical and political context. The study adds to discussions on how external economic controls affect state power, welfare, and sovereignty in the post-colonial world.