The Economic Geography of "Left Behind" Places

Economic Development in Nigeria

In this course, Professor Sir Paul Collier (University of Oxford) explores economic development in Nigeria, focusing on the negative effects of oil on the country’s politics and economy. In the first lecture, we introduce Professor Collier’s recent book Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places (2024), which discusses patterns of inequality and how poorer areas can “catch up” with wealthier ones. The second lecture then outlines the historical development of the Nigerian state and some key aspects of its human geography. In the third lecture, we think about how the discovery of oil contributed to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967. The fourth lecture considers the negative effects of oil on the Nigerian economy, framing this around the concept of “Dutch disease”. In the fifth and sixth lectures, we look at how oil has shaped politics in Nigeria, with particular attention given to the issue of corruption. We conclude with a seventh lecture on economic reform in Nigeria, emphasising the efforts of former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to control oil revenue expenditures and tackle corruption.

The Economic Geography of "Left Behind" Places

In this lecture, we think about some of the key insights from Professor Collier’s recent book Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places (2024). We focus on: (i) growing regional inequality in the UK, particularly with regard to economic disparities between parts of England and Scotland; (ii) differences in young people’s life chances based on the areas in which they live, measured by their likelihood of having decent employment by 28; (iii) the focus of Left Behind on finding pragmatic solutions to help poorer areas “catch up” with wealthier ones.