First published in 2026. ISBN 979-8-90600-873-2. A collection of essays examining Nigeria’s development challenges through constitutionalism, institutional design, state capacity and systems thinking.
Published April 2026
The Unfinished Nigerian Project
Essays on State Capacity, Institutional Design, and Nigeria’s Search for Nationhood (2020–2025)
Buy the book ↓Key Themes
Ideas developed in the book
State Capacity
The ability of public institutions to make policy, deliver services and enforce rules.
Federalism
How authority and responsibility are divided between federal, state and local government.
Institutional Design
How constitutions, laws and administrative structures distribute authority and create incentives.
Energy Systems
The infrastructure, markets and institutions involved in producing, moving and using energy.
National Integration
How a diverse federation builds common citizenship and political belonging.
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Nigeria's water crisis mirrors its electricity crisis. But a nation cannot build prosperity by requiring every family to become its own water utility and electricity provider. Individual ingenuity cannot substitute for public institutions. We must rediscover the value of collective provision. Water and electricity should not depend on a household's ability to finance its own infrastructure. Government must provide reliable services, while citizens share responsibility for sustaining them. A borehole may solve a family's water problem, and solar panels its electricity problem. Neither, by itself, builds a functioning society. As a six-year-old boy returning from school, I knew nothing about reservoirs, treatment chemistry or public budgets. I only knew that I could reach the tap in front of our compound, cup my palms and drink clean water. That simple privilege was made possible by collective infrastructure.
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Product details
Book specifications
- Title
- The Unfinished Nigerian Project
- Subtitle
- Essays on State Capacity, Institutional Design, and Nigeria’s Search for Nationhood (2020–2025)
- Author
- Olarinre Salako
- Publication
- Emakemtos USA Inc., Texas, USA · April 2026
- ISBN
- 979-8-90600-873-2
- Format
- Paperback · 6 × 9 inches · 420 g
₦15,000.00
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