Kate Meagher

Professor Kate Meagher is a leading scholar in Development Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), specializing in the informal economy of Africa. Her research focuses on hybrid governance, cross-border trade systems, and the socio-economic implications of informal economies in Nigeria and West Africa.

Meagher holds a D.Phil in Sociology from the University of Oxford, alongside degrees from the University of Toronto and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). She has held academic positions at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and the Oxford African Studies Centre. Her expertise bridges economic informality, religion, and development policy, with key works including Identity Economics: Social Networks and the Informal Economy in Nigeria and co-edited volumes on globalization and African labor markets.

Research Interests include the gig economy, hybrid governance structures, and the role of informal networks in post-colonial development. She critiques conventional development frameworks through decolonial lenses, emphasizing African agency in global economic systems.

Recent publications analyze media narratives around protest movements, the impact of structural adjustment policies, and the paradoxes of African economic data during the pandemic. She advocates for inclusive policies that recognize informal sector resilience while addressing systemic vulnerabilities.

Currently on sabbatical until September 2025, her work engages with marginalized communities' economic strategies, offering empirical insights into non-state governance systems and their implications for democratization and globalization.