December 8, 2006

'A Culture of Corruption: Everyday Deception and Popular Discontent in Nigeria'

By NINA C. AYOUB

Daniel Jordan Smith is an impolitic anthropologist. He admits that he's ambivalent toward Nigeria, the site of his work and research over some 15 years. Yet, he writes, it's an ambivalence shared by many, if not most, Nigerians. "Nigeria na war-o," a common pidgin-English expression, hints at a reason. Translated literally, "Nigeria is a war."

For ordinary Nigerians, Mr. Smith says, getting ready for each day is a "bit like preparing for the tension of battle." Life is a struggle, not