Portia Roelofs

About

My PhD thesis challenges the mainstream interpretation of sub-national Nigerian politics as principled reformers vs. patronage politics. Taking the case study of Oyo State, the adoption of donor-endorsed good governance reforms from 2011 onwards is explained by party-based political economy considerations and deeply rooted, but highly contested, ideological commitments. These reforms were in practice re-purposed to meet electoral demands for popular conceptions of good governance. Read the abstract here.

My ongoing research agenda continues to explore the ideological and political economy aspects of governance in developing countries. Find out more.

I currently teach DV400 Development: History, Theory and Policy at the London School of Economics.

I also have a first class degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford and a Masters in African Politics from SOAS, University of London. Full bio.