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Horizontal Inequalities in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire: Issues and Policies

Author: A Langer et al
Date: 2007
Size: 43 pages (314 KB)

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Summary

What can governments do to reduce actual and perceived horizontal inequalities (HIs) that cut across political, economic, and cultural domains? This working paper from the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security, and Ethnicity (CRISE) discusses and analyses prevailing HIs in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. It reviews a range of specific policy recommendations for solving HIs in the context of a wider global research project. The paper also addresses the challenges of identifying relevant groups, covering the multiple dimensions of His and coping with inadequate data.

HIs are conceived broadly as multidimensional inequalities existing between culturally defined groups. HI measures compare differences in economic, social, cultural, and political status between groups rather than individuals. Severe HIs have been shown to increase the likelihood of the emergence of ethnic conflict and to have a serious negative impact on poorer groups. As a result, the overall development of society is constrained and poverty elimination becomes more difficult.

The principle findings from the wider research are that:

Conflict is more likely in regions where HIs are both high and in the same direction (or consistent). Political HIs, issues of citizenship and aggressive states appear to be particularly important sources of conflict. As a result, inclusive or power-sharing arrangements in government tend to reduce the likelihood of violence.
Inequality of cultural recognition is a destablising factor, increasing people’s willingness to mobilise along cultural lines.
Perceptions of inequality incite action. Education, media, and political leadership can do much to change these perceptions, both positively and negatively.
The presence of natural resources can lead to sudden HIs and feed into low-level local conflict, as in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
The persistence of some HIs, often with colonial or pre-colonial origins, must be recognised. Deep-seated problems can be the most intractable to policy-makers, but are some of the most important issues to tackle.
National and international politics and statistics too seldom take HIs into account.

The following broad policy recommendations aim to reduce observed HIs in all dimensions. However, since each situation is unique, policies must reflect the particular circumstances of the country. The first requirement is to understand the local situation, assess the extent and perceptions of HIs in different dimensions and explore the major causes of the inequalities.

Political HIs must be addressed in relation to universal citizenship rights, electoral design, government power-sharing, distribution of public-sector jobs and decentralisation of power to local and regional levels.
Economic HIs must be addressed at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Examples include forms of asset redistribution, progressive taxation and the inequality dimension of structural adjustment policies.
While rectifying political and socio-economic inequality often involves redistribution, tackling social inequality often means official recognition of disadvantaged groups and their identity.
Policies to combat cultural HIs include promoting freedom of religion, officially recognising all widely-spoken languages, state toleration and support of cultural practices.

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Source: Langer, et al., 2007, 'Horizontal Inequalities in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire: Issues and Policies', CRISE Working Paper 45, Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, University of Oxford
Author: Arnim Langer , Arnim.Langer@qeh.ox.ac.uk
Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/index.shtml