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The federal solution has been widely discussed in relation to political systems where the articulation of major cleavages, differences, and pluralities threatens political integration and stability. The relationship between conflict, development, and federalism, however, has been poorly accounted for in the literature on federalism. Existing theories about the utilitarian value of federalism thus face serious challenges, especially with respect to post‐colonial Africa. The relationship between conflict, economic development, and federalism in the African context needs to be carefully examined from the perspective of governance, as well as the impact they have on society‐state relations. This article discusses the impact of ethno‐linguistic, ethno‐regional, and ethno‐religious conflicts on economic development in Nigeria – informed by the inequalities, insecurity, and poverty prevalent in the country – and examines the relevance of the federal solution for mitigating such centrifugal pressures as well as other divisive and violent tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2003 Nigeria's economic growth has been consistently above 6% and has been driven by non-oil sectors. This article attempts to assess the contribution of the 2005 debt-relief agreement to this higher growth. The agreement eliminated Nigeria's US$30 billion debt to Paris Club creditors who cancelled US$18 bn, while Nigeria paid back US$12 bn. The article traces the three possible impact channels of debt relief, namely, the flow (reduced debt service), the stock (removal of debt overhang) and the conditionality channel, and comes to the conclusion that the debt-relief agreement played a key role in the country's improved economic performance, in particular through successful conditionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]