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SummaryThe article refers to a recent article on child marriage in Nigeria, published in

His research interests are in the economics of public policy as it impacts culture, the built and rural environment and wellbeing. He has recently served as President of the Association of Cultural Economics International (ACEI) and in that field has undertaken work on digital piracy, the film industry, effectiveness of public subsidy, international trade in cultural artefacts and the illegal trade in ivory for antiques and craft markets.

A fundamental tenet of modern constitutionalism is that nobody, regardless of his status in society, is above the law. Constitutional reforms in the 1990s saw the introduction in many African countries of constitutions which for the first time provide some prospects for promoting constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law. This article reviews the extent to which these reforms have addressed the issue of presidential absolutism and the abuses that go with it. It examines some of the factors that made African presidents to be so powerful that the conventional constitutional checks and balances could not restrain their excesses. It also reviews the attempts to limit impunity through immunity provisions. It concludes that unfortunately, the 1990 reforms did not adequately address the problem of presidential absolutism. A number of ways, nationally and internationally, in which presidential accountability could be enhanced and the culture of impunity ended is suggested.