Tarnzuur David Wanger 

Keywords: Politics, political patronage, prebendalism, youth unemployment

Abstract

This paper examines ‘politics as an economy’ in Nigeria, where political
power and participation serves as a major avenue for wealth accumulation,
resource distribution, and economic survival. While existing scholarship
largely focuses on elite capture, prebendal practices, patronage, and rent-seeking, the study extends the analysis to unemployed youths and
economically marginalized populations who increasingly engage in politics as a livelihood strategy. The study integrates prebendalism, political
marketplace, rent-seeking, rational choice, and institutional perspectives to explain the interaction between elite accumulation and mass survival. With
qualitative political economy research design adoption, using historical-
analytical and descriptive approaches, the study draws on secondary data
from scholarly literature, government and institutional publications, election
reports, policy documents, and credible media sources, and these were content analyzed. Drawing on those perspectives shaped by the political economy and institutional viewpoints, particularly engaging the works of Richard Joseph, Peter Ekeh, Claude Ake, and Douglass North, the paper argues that Nigeria operates as a political marketplace in which access to public office and political networks creates opportunities for economic gain. Findings established that politics in Nigeria functions as both an elite
accumulation system and a mass survival economy. Institutional weaknesses, historical legacies, unemployment, and elite behaviour sustain this system, with adverse implications for governance, democracy and development. The paper concludes that meaningful transformation of politics from an economic enterprise into a public-service institution requires institutional reform/strengthening, economic
restructuring/diversification, productive employment, electoral finance reform/laws, reduced dependence on political patronage, and sustainable youth empowerment.

Author Biography

Tarnzuur David Wanger 

Department of Sociology, Covenant University Ota, Ogun Nigeria

Email: [email protected]

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