Eghosa Osaghae analyzes Nigerian politics since independence in 1960 in relation to the factors that have prevented Nigeria from being the giant that its resources and location in the global system entitle it to be. The conceptual framework links elements of the country's political culture and economy to its colonial creation and current location as a neo-colonial formation. Post-independence political developments are examined in chronological order, beginning with the First Republic (1960-6) and ending with the Abacha regime (1993-). Each of the seven chapters has detailed sections on the economy and foreign policy. Special attention is given to the political scene in the late 1980s and 1990s during which the country went into decline. The author looks in turn at the structural adjustments, failed democratization projects, the annulled 12th June 1993 presidential election, the intensified struggles against military rule, and the possibilities of disentegration. The final chapter argues that Nigeria's decline did not begin in the 1980s and 1990s but is due to structural impediments in its post-colonial politics.