Democracy and development in nigeria international society for. National development also has altogether, only materialized in the inscrutable imaginations of nigeria s national development planners. Department of history and international studies, ekiti state university, adoekiti, ekiti state, nigeria 2. Schumpeter cited in ukase 2014 sees democracy as a method by which decisionmaking is transferred to individuals who have gained power in a. The beginning of democracy in nigeria can be traced to the early years of independent nigeria, particularly, the first republic.
Analysing the relationship between democracy and development. Africa, democracy, development, governance, nigeria. National development also has altogether, only materialized in the inscrutable imaginations of nigerias national development planners. To this end, it can pass necessary relevant laws and employ the force of the community in the execution of such laws in aid of national development. If they dont, they have a right to question the assumed connection between democracy and development and to become disillusioned. In a democracy, government is only one thread in the social fabric of many and varied public and private institutions, legal forums, political parties, organizations, characteristics of democracy an educated citizenry is the best guarantee for a thriving democracy. Factors that will drive democracy as a vehicle for genuine national development will also be discussed. Nigeria and the problems of national development after democratization article pdf available november 2017 with 1,052 reads how we measure reads. Democracy in nigeria problems and prospects information. Election in nigeria is an important part of any democratic process that enables the citizenry determine fairly and freely who should lead them at every level of government periodically and take decisions that would determine their economic, political and. Unfortunately, the growth of democracy in nigeria has remained stunted ajayi, 1998. Nigerians expectation of democracy rests on this promise.
In the 1960s and 1970s before the current democratic upsurge, the focus of debate on the connection between democracy and development was on how. Whereas the commencement of the implementation process has seen our country battling an economic recession occasioned. Unfortunately, the democratic governments in nigeria just like their military counterparts have failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorates. The rule of law, democracy and development democracy and rule of law are inseparable and interwoven. Conformity to the latter manifests in good governance, infrastructural development and consequently national development.
This is no less so in poor and developing countries than it is in the north and the west. The second national development plan period19741980. Democracy, development, nigeria, reimagination introduction democracy is at the crossroads in nigeria. To achieve national development targets, nigeria should encourage national integration and stand against anything that will disturb the peace of the country. May 29 th of every year is declared democracy day in nigeria, and it also a public holiday. Until june 6, 2018, it was held annually on may 29.
Democracy and governance in africa the national academies press. Nigeria s inability to foster a sustainable democratic tradition has negative consequences for the country. Accepted 25 october, 2016 contemporary debates on democracy, good governance and development are greatly inspired by the. This paper examined the linkage between democracy and development in nigeria, using ethics as the yardstick for democratic adherence. With the promises which democracy seemed to hold for the people of nigeria, the system was, popularly embraced and from 1999 till date, there have been hopes of a better nigeria through democratic governance. The development and sustenance of true democracy in nigeria depends, to a large extent, on the electoral system. And do democratic institutions facilitate economic development. A country is classified as developed when is able to provide qualitative life for her citizenry. Implications for national development article pdf available july 20 with 982 reads how we measure reads. Development is critical and essential to the sustenance and growth of any nation. Its southern coast is on the gulf of guinea in the atlantic ocean. A comparative survey of democracy, governance and development working paper series jointly published by globalbarometer the asian barometer abs is an applied research program on public opinion on political values, democracy, and governance around the region. Democracy, good governance and development in nigeria abdulhamid ozohusuleiman department of public administration, faculty of management sciences, university of abuja, nigeria.
Federal republic of nigeria implementation of the sdgs. Obasanjo saw debt relief as essential to the relief of hunger and the future of democracy in nigeria and the rest of africa. Thus democracy is a central determinant of the quality of life, and a central element in the ability of men and women to live freely and autonomously as human beings. Challenges and prospects democracy plays a very important and crucial role in promoting good governance and national development. Democracy, violent conflict and national development in nigeria. In nigeria, sustaining the gains of development through consistent democratic good governance practices remains a challenge that stare the nation on the face. Brief overviews of a few developmental strategies in nigeria are. Democracy plays a very important and crucial role in promoting good governance and national development.
The crisis of development and democracy is resolved by the application. National development involves changes or advancement in a nation aimed at improving the political, economic and social lives of the people. Many government institutions do not adequately engage with citizens or the private sector and. Constitutionalism, democracy and national development in.
Nigeria is a picturesque country where the sun rises in the east and sets in the. It appears reasonable to answer the first question affirmatively. Nigeria is the fourth world largest democracy with a population of over 160 million and world sixth largest oil supplier and blessed with economic potentials abdullateef, 2010, ibrahim, 20 but majority of its population are poor ibrahim, 20. The first national development plan 19621968 the plan made no clear statement on rural infrastructural development, as agriculture was still an important. Constitutional development in nigeria from 1914 till date.
In the nigerian context, democracy appears to have been characterised by violence. With the return of democratic governance to nigeria, the study of the relationship between leadership and good governance for national development has become an imperative. The intellectual debate on the linkage between democracy and development has witnessed some twists and turns driven by the currents of global political changes. Even though nigeria acquired republican status in 1963, the first republic in nigeria began on the 1 st of october, 1960 and came to an end on the 15 th of january, 1966. The whole thing started from the year1999, when olusegun obasanjo was sworn in as the first democratically elected president of nigeria.
European scientific journal january 2014 edition vol. This is because of the role of the latter in developmental process. Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused at a time when dictators, singleparty regimes, and military coup leaders alike assert popular support by claiming the mantle of democracy. Nigeria has a space satellite that is monitored at the nigerian national space research and development agency headquarters in abuja. The study looks at the challenges and prospects associated with leadership and good governance in nigeria within the first decade of the fourth republic. Constitutionalism, democracy and national development in nigeria. This is after a period of military rule in the past. Practice, problems and prospects adeyinka theresa ajayi1 and emmanuel oladipo ojo2 1. A complex relationship by pranab bardhan university of california at berkeley i most of us, ardent democrats all, would like to believe that democracy is not merely good in itself, it is also valuable in enhancing the process of development. The federation comprises 36 states and 1 federal capital territory, where the capital, abuja, is located. Democracy in nigeria has been a mere political desideratum hanging on a limping utopia adewusi, 2011.
It is also the worlds eighth largest producer of crude oil and has been the united states second largest supplier for. Problems and prospects of the evoting option idike, adeline nnenna, a department of public administration and local government university of nigeria, nsukka email. Many government institutions do not adequately engage with citizens or the private sector and lack the capacity to. Nevertheless, the democracy story in nigeria can be traced to the year 1960.
The common man in nigeria expects national development, the respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution. The promotion of democratization and sustainable development both in our region and in africa as a whole is central to nigeria s national interest. The quest for democracy and therefore development in nigeria has been hindered by the disruptive influences of militarism. Each year, ned makes more than 1,600 grants to support the projects of nongovernmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals in more than 90 countries. Democracy and development is democracy inherently a good thing.
D candidate 0 0 department of public administration and local government, university of nigeria, nsukka this study contends that democracy is at the crossroads in nigeria. Democracy and governance in africa democratization in. Nigeria in the last fifty years has been battling with the problems of development in spite of huge human, material and natural resources in her possession. Nigeria, democracy and national development have not taken proper shape. The national endowment for democracy ned is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. People do hide under the cover of national interest to project and protect their own individual or group interest. The confidence of the citizens in the electoral system and their participation in the electoral process are requisites for the enthronement of responsible and democratic leaders. Research on humanities and social sciences issn paper22245766 issn online22250484 online vol. Democracy day is june 12, a national public bank holiday in nigeria. History of democracy in nigeria and when did nigeria. Of course, if we take a suitably broad concept of development to incorporate. Department of history and international studies, ekiti state university, adoekiti, ekiti state, nigeria abstract.
In a situation such as this, national interest does have a negative contribution to national development. The interrelatedness of human and material resources as well as their interactions is reflected in systems and integration theories as well as the structural functional approach to the practice of democracy, good governance and nation building. Iii democracy, development and adjustment in developing countries 6 democracy and development. Every country in the world aspires and claims to be democratic.
Controversy shrouds the role of nigerian legislature in national development. Yet the power of the democratic idea has prevailed through a long and turbulent history, and democratic government. Since nigeria became a democratic nation, positive changes are obvious. There are roadblocks to a strong democracy in nigeria at all levels of government. Given the general optimism that nigeria was going to be the bastion of democracy in africa following her independence from britain in 1960, one should normally expect that by now democracy should be deeply rooted and institutionalised in the country.
This work seeks to establish a working relationship between democracy and sustainable development in the context of national development, with particular reference to nigeria. Democracy, good governance and development in nigeria. On october 1 nigeria added to its list of vital statistics a new status as the worlds fourth largest democracy. History of democracy in nigeria and when did nigeria became a. An analytical and conceptual framework democracy to sodaro 2001, the essence of democracy is that, people have the right determine who governments. National interest and national development in nigeria. It is time they began to see some of the promised returns. The role of governance and democracy in development. Pdf revisiting leadership, democracy and national development. Cdd centre for democracy and development cedaw convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The role of governance and democracy in development center.
It examines nigerias quest for national development, the challenges of leadership and problems of her democratic experiment, and contends that. Nigeria recorded another major political development when it returned to democratic rule in 1999 after it suffered many years of unstable governance, sometimes, truncated by the military action. This is a major step towards stabilizing and entrenching democracy in nigeria. Functioning regional economic community recs are the most reliable pillars on which to build panafricanism in its economic and political dimensions. Challenges, democracy, national development, nigeria, prospects. Indeed, the positive relationship between democracy and development is globally acclaimed because its. Development strategies in nigeria the following are the various development strategies that has been adopted at one time or the other. With heavy reliance on secondary data backed by analytical approach, the paper examines democracy and violent conflicts in nigeria and its implications for development with a particular focus on the nigeria. In the contemporary world, democracy is regarded as the best system of governance given that it is people centered and development oriented.
More than half of the worlds population now live in a democracy of some sort, although only some per cent of that population reside in full democracies eiu, 2010. Changes are very important for political, economic, and social development. Nigeria is a picturesque country where the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It ranges from economy to general standard of living. Jerry hyman senior adviser and president, the hills program on governance, csis democracy has an important role to play in promoting sustainable development. Democracy day marks the day the military handed over power to an elected civilian government in 1999, marking the beginning of the longest continuous civilian rule since nigeria s independence from colonial rule in 1960. The real influence of the media in national development will depend on the media themselves, the societies in which they operate, and the audience they reach. Introduction democracy is a vital instrument that propels political proficiency, economic development and social stability of any nation state. Federal republic of nigeria implementation of the sdgs a. In other words, all the power that the legislature possesses is for development, national development. Democracy and sustainable development in nigeria publish. The regional network encompasses research teams from thirteen east asian political. Nigeria has a highly developed financial services sector, with a mix of local and international banks, asset management companies, brokerage houses, insurance companies and brokers, private equity funds and. Challenges and prospects the current nigerian democratic rule is a product of two futile attempts by different military heads of state, namely general ibrahim babangida and late general sanni abacha to transit to civilian rule.
The researcher examines some strategies adopted by nigeria for development from 1960 till date, charts progress and challenges, and proposes strategies for achieving. National interest and national development the term national interest is characterized with inconsistency. Democracy, violent conflict and national development in. Introduction democracy, over the years and across the globe, has been presented and.
Introduction in the last half a century, many countries have transited to democracy. Jul 30, 20 democracy and violent conflicts in nigeria. Free and fair elections, independent media, accountable government, as well as other basic democratic principles, are all critical components of an environment conducive to growth. Conflicttriggered by political competition and communal, ethnic, religious or resource allocation rivalriesposes a major threat to democracy. D department of political science and public administration university of uyo, nigeria abstract.