Post by Eleojo Victor Edoka (@Endroit)

I understand Vice President Shettima’s criticism of Mr Peter Obi’s use of Bangladesh as a point of comparison with Nigeria, however it misses a fundamental principle of comparative politics. Countries do not have to be identical before their policies, institutions and economic outcomes can be compared.

Comparative politics exists precisely because countries differ in population, institutions, economic structures and social conditions. The purpose is to identify what works, what fails, and what lessons can be adapted to local realities.

Nobody is suggesting that Nigeria should copy and paste Bangladesh’s policies without considering its peculiar circumstances. The question is whether Nigeria can learn from countries that have achieved better outcomes in areas where we continue to struggle.

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