Chapter 9 takes note of the important role of elite formation during colonialism in defining elite spaces, particularly in Nigeria. These elite spaces are important for understanding patterns of governance and the persistence of poverty. Although this is of critical importance because so many are poor in Africa, discussions about poverty may not take sufficient note of elite attitudes and behaviors that shape policies that may contribute to or alleviate poverty. Elite formation during colonialism has been important in shaping attitudes about governance and conceptions of internal responsibility of those who govern to those over whom they rule.

In this introductory chapter, we provide an initial examination of the linkages between peaceful borders and the occurrence and proliferation of illicit transnational flows. We refer to several empirical examples, including the cases of the Northern Triangle in Central America, the Tri-Border Area of the Southern Cone of South America, the Colombian borders, and the Schengen open regime in Europe. In addition, we refer to the existing scholarship by clarifying several key concepts, stemming from five different bodies of literature: international peace, globalization, international borders, governance and “areas of limited statehood,” and the phenomena of transnational criminal organizations and terrorism.

In this chapter, we introduce our theoretical framework, which delineates alternative answers to the research question concerning the conditions under which peaceful borders might enable the occurrence and proliferation of illicit transnational flows. To answer this question, we assume that international peace and globalization act as permissive conditions that provide the general context for the occurrence and proliferation of illicit transnational flows across peaceful borders as parameters. At the same time, we explain the variation in the nature, occurrence, quality, and quantity of these illicit transnational flows according to three variables: (1) the degree of physical and institutional openness of the peaceful borders; (2) the degree of governance, institutional strength, and political willingness of the neighboring states; and (3) the prevalent socioeconomic conditions of the neighboring states, with reference to the regional economic characteristics of the borderlands. In addition, we discuss the methodology and introduce the case studies that illustrate and test the theoretical argument.