Crisis in policy, policy in crisis: understanding environmental discourse and resource‐use conflict in northern Nigeria

This article explores the emergence and persistence of crisis narratives in the policy environment of twentieth century Nigeria. It finds that environmental crisis narratives have a well‐established and traceable historical lineage, initially, as continuity between colonial and post‐colonial policy discourse, but more recently with donor agencies gaining increasing importance in influencing and shaping debate. Counter‐narratives are identified, but these lack historical ‘legitimacy’, and often sit uncomfortably alongside donor‐funded initiatives. In light of weak governance systems that impede the development and maintenance of robust data‐sets, the article argues that flawed ‘conventional wisdom’ regarding environmental processes and people–environment linkages will combine to produce a policy environment that could actually constrain rather than enable the improvement of rural livelihoods.