Paiement et indépendance : Est-ce qu’une relation de clientèle avec le gouvernement inhibe la critique des « groupes de réflexion »

The paper examines the relationship between funding sources and the independence of think tanks, specifically in Nigeria. It argues that while government funding is often seen as a constraint on objectivity, the actual impact depends on several intermediate variables such as the institution's professional quality and the technical nature of its work.

• The author argues that a direct link between government funding and a loss of objectivity is an oversimplification; instead, the relationship is mediated by six intermediate variables: a history of independence, access to alternative funding sources, professionalism, quality of production, specialization in a specific niche, and whether the focus of the work is technical rather than political.
• During Nigeria's military regime, public think tanks suffered a severe decline due to funding cuts, political interference, nepotism in appointments, and a 'brain drain' of researchers moving abroad or to private institutions.
• Private think tanks in Nigeria became alternative knowledge centers during the military era, largely because foreign donors were reluctant to channel funds through corrupt military governments.
• Foreign funding of NGOs and think tanks in developing countries is often criticized as a 'Trojan horse' for Western agendas, with some arguing that it marginalizes local capacity and serves neoliberal global interests.
• Following the return to civilian rule in Nigeria, foreign donors shifted their funding priorities away from private think tanks toward public institutions and universities, justifying this as a means to strengthen democratic institutions.
• The author identifies a taxonomy of Nigerian think tanks, dividing them into public groups (specialized scientific institutes, social research centers, training institutes, advisory bodies, and professional councils) and private groups (NGO research/advocacy centers, non-governmental academies, professional associations, private sector councils, and intellectual unions).

APA

Ibeanu, O. (2008). Paiement et indépendance : Est-ce qu’une relation de clientèle avec le gouvernement inhibe la critique des « groupes de réflexion ». South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Occasional-Paper-15-FR.pdf

Chicago

Ibeanu, Okechukwu. Paiement et indépendance : Est-ce qu’une relation de clientèle avec le gouvernement inhibe la critique des « groupes de réflexion ». South African Institute of International Affairs, 2008. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Occasional-Paper-15-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ibeanu |first1=Okechukwu |title=Paiement et indépendance : Est-ce qu’une relation de clientèle avec le gouvernement inhibe la critique des « groupes de réflexion » |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Occasional-Paper-15-FR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ibeanu2008paiement, author = {Ibeanu, Okechukwu}, title = {{Paiement et indépendance : Est-ce qu’une relation de clientèle avec le gouvernement inhibe la critique des « groupes de réflexion »}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Occasional-Paper-15-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }