Embodying the Modern: Neoliberalism, NGOs, and the Culture of Human Rights Practices in Nigeria

The idea that neoliberalism is about shrinking the state to make it more effective has often translated to what many have called the “outsourcing” of state responsibilities to NGOs. This article investigates the growing influence of NGOs and NGO practices in Nigeria, while also illustrating Nigerian NGO connections to transnational networks of human rights NGOs. It maps the genealogies of two Nigerian NGOs, CLEEN and CISLAC, through the rise of their leaders. I argue that the culture of NGO practices is emblematic of how neoliberalism loathes the state in ways that privilege NGOs as alternatives to the state. I use this article to think through the following questions: how is it that NGOs engage in claim-making that imbues practitioners with knowledge aimed at reshaping structures of power? Why do NGOs demonize nation-state governance structures perceived as alien and backward? How is it that structures of governance shaped by neoliberal practices are claimed, normalized, and imbibed by NGOs as practices that are modern? These practices, I argue, are illustrative of how the culture of human rights has and continues to transform power structures in Nigeria.