Administrative Traditions of the Majority World: A Commentary and Future Research Agenda

ABSTRACT Decolonising public administration is an urgent and necessary endeavour. In this short article we argue that we cannot, however, settle for shallow decolonialisations. We argue that the specific iterations of bureaucracy evidenced in post‐colonial states across the majority world can be conceptualised through the lens of administrative traditions, but that any contemporary investigation into these traditions must take account of institutionally sticky pre‐colonial state bureaucratic practices, because ideas and practices persist. We argue this point and then contextualise it through the case of Nigeria, especially the Northern Nigerian administrative tradition legacies from the Sokoto Caliphate that persist today. The paper concludes with a proposed future research agenda.