Paper short abstract:

This study seeks to understand the significance of state fragility for economic growth in Nigeria using data over the period 1981 to 2015. It does this by augmenting a simple economic growth model with the introduction of a variable state fragility.

Paper long abstract:

Fragile states pose a dilemma for the development community at research, policy and practice levels. These countries present not only some of the most serious and urgent development needs in the world but the most difficult environments for conventional economic theories and assumptions. Recent periods has however witnessed growth in a significant number of these states. This raises the issue of what drives the witnessed growth, and whether the manifestations of state fragility have implications for a fragile state. Interestingly, quite a lot of the existing models on economic growth as an area of academics as well as research interest tend to be sightless of state fragility. Nigeria is one of the recently upgraded economies from low income to middle (lower) income. This study therefore seeks to understand the significance of state fragility for economic growth in Nigeria using data over the period 1981 to 2015. It does this by introducing state fragility into a simple economic growth model and subjected to econometric time series testing.