Neoliberal State and Child Welfare Policy in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria as a neoliberal state has not fully lived up to its commitments of protecting citizens’ lives and properties. This is because the neoliberal state is profit-oriented and functions as a business outfit, resulting to less attention for the wellbeing of citizens, including children. Unfortunately, family structures that are expected to provide safety for children have been affected by neoliberal economic policies. Extant literature has not adequately explained how the introduction of the neoliberal state and its economic policies such as privatization, removal of state subsidies, and deregulation undermine the implementation of existing child welfare policies in Nigeria. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explain how the introduction of neoliberal economic policies in Nigeria created a gap in which children are not provided for within the social safety nets. The study adopted qualitative interviews with 70 respondents across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, and their responses were thematically analysed in NVivo. The findings show that neoliberal policies are market and profit-driven processes, and these have significant impacts on the prospects of sustainable development and the welfare of children. We found defects in education, health, protection, nutrition, and overall wellbeing of children in Nigeria, based on the country’s neoliberal direction.