Running for cover: informal workers and the pursuit of old-age social protection in Northern Nigeria

Modibo, Aisha (2024) Running for cover: informal workers and the pursuit of old-age social protection in Northern Nigeria. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

This thesis argues that Nigeria’s reliance on market-based solutions such as micro pensions to provide social protection for elderly informal workers is fundamentally flawed. While these schemes claim to alleviate poverty, they fail to account for economic instability, mistrust in the state and financial institutions, and local realities of informal workers, who believe their needs are better served by informal support mechanisms such as family networks, community saving schemes, or tangible asset investments. However, the costs of ageing, particularly healthcare, far exceed what these informal strategies can sustainably cover, leaving many elderly workers vulnerable. Using ethnographic research, the study demonstrates that market-driven solutions exacerbate rather than resolve these challenges, necessitating a transformative approach to social protection. Theoretically, the thesis mainly challenges Social Risk Management (SRM) and Rights-Based Approaches for their limited applicability in contexts of weak governance and systemic poverty. Transformative Social Policy (TSP) is proposed as a more robust alternative, offering a holistic framework for addressing structural inequalities. The chapters collectively advance this argument. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 cover the introduction, literature review, and methodology. Chapter 4 situates the study within the historical context, demonstrating the gradual erosion of precolonial welfare systems dating back to the Sokoto Caliphate. Chapter 5 analyses the impact of neoliberal policies on formal social services and informal systems, arguing that the withdrawal from welfare responsibilities by state, market, and families leaves elderly informal workers increasingly vulnerable. Chapter 6 examines the historical development of pensions, showing how neoliberal reforms prioritised privatisation over protection, production, and redistribution. I expose the tensions between the state and market, highlighting their mutual failures to provide adequate support. Chapter 7 critiques financial inclusion strategies, revealing why micro pension schemes are unsuitable for informal workers, and how workers resist financialisation by relying on informal mechanisms. Finally, Chapter 8 consolidates the thesis contributions by grounding my findings in theories of social policy, microinsurance and micro pensions, proposing a transformative framework to address the systemic shortcomings identified. This thesis contributes to debates on poverty and social policy by challenging the dominance of neoliberal solutions, concluding that only policies grounded in local realities and systemic equity can address the intersecting vulnerabilities of elderly informal workers in Nigeria.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2024 Aisha Modibo
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Sets:	Departments > International Development
Supervisor:	Meagher, Kate and Kar, Sohini
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4793

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