The paradox of co‐producing governance with traditional institutions: Diaspora chiefs and minority empowerment in Nigeria

Abstract

Diaspora chiefs are traditional authorities of migrant communities. In Nigeria, they can function as representative brokers who empower their communities and co‐produce governance with the state. This article shows how in Kano, Nigeria's second‐largest city, this brokerage produces paradoxical outcomes. Based on original interviews and survey data, it describes how, on the one hand, diaspora chiefs are highly popular and have indeed created new spaces for minorities to access public resources. But, on the other, the constraints inherent in these newly created, traditional spaces mean that minority empowerment may well come at the expense of reproducing their nonindigenous, second‐class citizenship status.

Agents of order? Brokerage and empowerment in development and conflict

“…On the one hand, virtually all brokers in this special issue provide benefits for the marginal communities they represent. They may do so, for example, by facilitating the formation of collective identities and organisations that can be used for claim‐making and advocacy (e.g., Diprose, 2022, unpublished date); by enhancing access to services and resources of the state (e.g., Goodhand & Walton, 2022a; Ehrhardt, 2022); or by protecting a community from (violent) encroachment from other actors (e.g., Pope, 2022). But on the other hand, all papers in this special issue emphasise the fundamental limitations to these forms of empowerment: Rarely, if ever, do brokers help marginalised communities to disrupt the structural institutions and inequalities that constrain their position.…”

“…At the same time, their strong ties with the marginalised community limit their desire and ability to betray the community for their own gain and allow them to have good information and influence within the community. Embedded brokers are also more likely to be the result of a degree of control over their selection by the client community, which fosters ‘outcomes of brokerage [that] better reflected their interests’ (Severs & de Jong, 2018, p. 346), as can be seen in the study of diaspora brokers in Nigeria by Ehrhardt (2022). In the next section, we will discuss in more detail this effect of whether clients have access to one or multiple brokers.…”

“…As David Ehrhardt (2022, p. 15) demonstrates, diaspora chiefs brokering on behalf of migrant communities in Nigeria tend to be selected for ‘being a leading example of their ethnic minority's customs and values’, and those who come from strong organisational structures, such as hometown associations and ethnic associations, tend to be stronger diaspora chiefs. However, the emphasis on their ethnic minority status also means that they are never ‘equal partners to the state’, as their effective power is limited and based on compliance with existing dominant structures (Ehrhardt, 2022). An even more extreme example of brokers' constrained space of manoeuvre are Afghan interpreters who were employed by Western armies.…”

“…An even more extreme example of brokers' constrained space of manoeuvre are Afghan interpreters who were employed by Western armies. In contrast to the diaspora brokers studied by Ehrhardt (2022), Afghan interpreters were not selected as representatives by the local Afghan client community but by the 'patron', that is, the powerful Western militaries. Local interpreters' shared identity with marginalised locals puts them in an almost equally weak position and with limited capacity to empower their communities.…”

Co-production for the integration of migrant human capital into the decent work

“…In migration processes, co-production seeks to provide public goods and services through collaboration with migrants’ representatives as intermediaries within state agencies. In that way, an environment is created where migrants feel represented and at the same time, they manage to generate influence in terms of governance and representativeness within state bodies [ 69 ]. The work of non-governmental organisations within the framework of cooperation with the state is important, as it brings together different actors to discuss the challenges and possible solutions to achieve the integration into the host society [ 70 ].…”