They Eat Our Sweat - Read online and download for free

Accounts of corruption in Africa and the Global South are often overly simplistic and tend to focus on large-scale, macro-level issues, typically overlooking the connection between everyday (petty) corruption and political (grand) corruption. In contrast, They Eat Our Sweat offers a nuanced and compelling exploration of the corruption dynamics in Africa, focusing on a micro-level analysis of the informal transport sector, where collusion between state and nonstate actors is most prevalent. Centered on Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital and Africa’s largest city, Daniel Agbiboa examines the daily realities of road transport operators, highlighting the extortion and violence perpetrated by transport unions in collusion with the state. Drawing from two years of in-depth ethnographic fieldwork, including working as an informal bus conductor, Agbiboa provides an insider's perspective on precarious labor, popular agency, and the constant struggle for survival under the influence of the modern world system. He argues that corruption in Nigeria is not a product of cultural traits but is driven by the daily battle to survive and advance within the complex and often corrupt system of Lagos. They Eat Our Sweat goes beyond corruption to also address the broader issues of transportation, politics, and governance in urban Africa.