9780253070371

9780253070364

9780253070357

9780253070388

"Can subalterns transform themselves into members of the elite, and what does it take to do so? And how do those efforts reveal the nature of ethnic politics in postcolonial Africa? How to Become a Big Man in Africa: Subalternity, Elites, and Ethnic Politics in Contemporary Nigeria examines these questions by revealing how, through ethno-regional conflict, violence and cultural activities, an artisan, Gani Adams, transformed himself into the holder of the most prestigious chieftaincy title among the Yoruba. Addressing persistent gaps in anthropological studies of the subaltern and of "big men" in politics through in-depth biography and rich social history, Wale Adebanwi follows Adams and other major figures in Nigeria's Oodua People's Congress (OPC) over two decades of ethnographic study and visual representations. Challenging existing models of African political mobility by leveraging his initial lack of formal education into a position of power, Adams moved from a "radical lumpen" and "area boy" to a "big man" who continues to struggle-and reflect-over the significance of his role as a cultural subject. Blurring the lines between tradition and modernity, Adams and his group have used Yoruba rituals to simultaneously claim authenticity and champion new movements for democracy and self-determination.How to Become a Big Man in Africa encourages us to understand the full complexity of Adams's political trajectory and how it reflects the structural and personal realities of becoming a "Big Man" in the contemporary postcolony"-- Provided by publisher.

""This book ... fits into a tradition (even if not fully acknowledged) of biographical studies as a way of elucidating the nature and practice of power in Nigeria. It's also by far the most comprehensive history of the OPC that would be widely available in the US/UK. ... It's absolutely original work that doesn't simply tread well-known ground." - Brandon Kendhammer, author of Muslims Talking Politics: Islam, Democracy and Law in Northern Nigeria. Can subalterns transform themselves into members of the elite, and what does it take to do so? And how do those efforts reveal the nature of ethnic politics in postcolonial Africa? How to Become a Big Man in Africa: Subalternity, Elites and Ethnic Politics in Contemporary Nigeria answers these questions by revealing how, using violence and cultural activities, carpenter and okada (motorcycle taxi) operator Gani Adams (trans)formed himself into the holder of the most prestigious chieftaincy title among the Yoruba. Addressing persistent gaps in anthropological studies of the subaltern and of "big men" in politics, Wale Adebanwi follows Adams and other major figures in Nigeria's Oodua People's Congress (OPC) over two decades of ethnographic study and visual representations. Challenging existing models of African political mobility by leveraging his lack of formal education into a position of power, Adams moved from a "radical lumpen" and "area boy" to a "big man" who continues to struggle-and reflect-over the significance of his role as a cultural subject. Blurring the lines between tradition and modernity, Adams and his faction have used Yoruba rituals to simultaneously claim authenticity and champion new movements for democracy and self-determination. In similar fashion, they have also mobilized violence-especially youth violence-to acquire power, but also to claim peaceful intentions. Their success has, in turn, inspired others to utilize the same fluid strategies as they attempt to join, counter, or supplant Adams and the OPC. Using biography as a means of political, historical, and ethnographic analysis, How to Be a Big Man in Africa encourages us to understand the full complexity of Adams's political trajectory, and how it reflects the structural and personal realities of becoming a "Big Man" in the contemporary postcolony"-- Provided by publisher.

O'odua People's Congress > History.

Power (Social sciences) > Nigeria.

Nigeria > Politics and government > 2007-

Nigeria > Politics and government > 1993-2007.