CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The quest for democracy, good governance and national development has been the major preoccupation of the Nigerian state since independence in 1960. These laudable objectives have suffered serious setbacks due to poor leadership and the inability of the followership to hold those in positions of authority accountable for their actions and inactions. The country has thus been left in a poor state of development characterized by endemic corruption at all levels of government and society; abject poverty and hopelessness; insecurity of lives and property; high rate of unemployment and youth restiveness; kidnapping and armed robbery; religious extremism; infrastructural deficits; among others.

Those in positions of authority have remained indifferent to the plight of the poor, the hungry and unemployed; instead, they are obsessed with siphoning the fortunes of the country, hence social injustice, corruption, poverty and insecurity have brought untold hardship to the people. The desired national transformation of the country is still a mirage in spite of the abundance of human and material resources, which should have ordinarily translated into a buoyant life for the citizenry. The greatest threat to democracy and good governance in Nigeria has thus been poor leadership, which breeds a hostile political environment for national development. Since the return of democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria has been experiencing deepening political crises as a result of the defects of the democratization process and the apparent ineptitude of the political leadership.

The problem of leadership has continued to abort efforts at genuine democratization through exclusion of some segments of the political elite from effective participation in the politics of the country. Adenuga and Akinboglu (2023) argued that despite over two decades of continuous democratic governance, Nigeria has failed to achieve the expected national development, attributing this stagnation to the persistence of autocratic practices within the democratic system, characterized by elitist leadership and a disregard for the rule of law. Thus, with the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigerians had expected that the new wave of political leadership and democratic governance would accelerate the tide of development in the nation. The political leadership was expected to grapple with the socio-economic and political problems of the country, which border on poverty, corruption, lack of good governance, corrupt electoral system, unemployment, and insecurity, among others.

Some of these problems are not only getting worse, but appear to defy solutions. Nigerians have become deeply frustrated and disappointed over unfulfilled hopes of solving persistent economic crises, social tensions and political instability. The World Bank (2022) noted that despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s annual growth rate has been declining while poverty remains a pervasive challenge, with the country classified as the global capital of extreme poverty. The emergent political corruption and deceit have created widespread national disaffection, which has been hijacked by some interest groups for their own parochial purposes. Thus, despite size and natural endowment in both human and material resources, Nigeria lingers in the doldrums, perpetually a country of the future.

The challenges of democracy, good governance and development confronting Nigeria are deeply rooted in the quality of leadership. Onwuharaonye, Ebere and Abaneme (2024) observed that elections in Nigeria have consistently been marred by rigging, violence, voter intimidation and other malpractices, casting doubt on the credibility of the electoral process and the quality of the democratic system. The inability of the political elite in the country to provide quality leadership has been the major reason for the failure of the Nigerian state to make progress on all globally acknowledged indices of human development. This study is concerned with how the expectations of Nigerians for democracy, good governance and national development could be realized. Thus, the study seeks to examine the challenges and prospects in relation to the country’s quest for democracy, good governance and economic development.

1.2 Statement of Problem

In spite of series of development strategies put in place by successive governments, and sometimes with good intentions, all attempts to attain meaningful and sustainable development have proven futile. It is worrisome to note that Nigeria has not been able to bring about substantial change in the economic conditions and people’s welfare and development. Oshewolo et al. (2023) identified corruption as the main cause of Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, including poverty, unemployment, inequalities and crime, while Transparency International (2023) consistently ranked Nigeria among the thirty most corrupt countries in the world. The living standard in Nigeria has fast been deteriorating with inflation, unemployment, civil strife, corruption, malnutrition and illiteracy on the rise. These are pointers to the fact that there are critical factors militating against the enthronement of democracy and good governance as well as attainment of national development in Nigeria. This underscores the concern of this research work, to analyse the challenges of democracy, good governance and economic development as well as the prospects for a better Nigeria.

1.3 Research Questions

For the purpose of this study, the following research questions were formulated:

1. Is there a nexus between democracy, good governance and economic development in Nigeria?

2. What are the problems militating against Democracy and its consolidation in Nigeria?

3. What are the challenges and prospects for achieving good governance and economic development in a democratic Nigeria?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are twofold. First, the general objective; which is to critically examine the challenges militating against democracy, good governance and economic development in Nigeria from 2016 to 2024, and to also proffer solutions to these challenges. Secondly, the specific objectives are spelt out below:

1. To examine the nexus between democracy, good governance and economic development in Nigeria.

2. To evaluate the problems militating against Democracy and its consolidation in Nigeria.

3. To investigate the challenges and prospects for achieving good governance and economic development in a democratic Nigeria.

1.5 Hypotheses of the Study

1. The impediments to democracy and its consolidation are likely caused by a horde of factors antagonistic to its achievement.

2. Good governance is dependent on the capacity of governance to achieve the greater good of the populace.

3. The nexus between democracy, good governance and economic development is a function of the distribution of political administration bringing out the best in the state for the people.

1.6 Significance of the Study

It is needful to carry out this research work as the federal government now faces development challenges that are vital to both welfare enhancements for the citizens in the country and the improvement of the economy in particular. The UNDP’s 2023/2024 Human Development Report noted that Nigeria’s Human Development Index remains low at 0.548, placing the country in the low human development category, with an estimated 33% of the population living in multidimensional poverty as of 2021. Also, this study will add to the body of knowledge on the subject matter of democracy, good governance and provide possible solutions to the various challenges faced, as well as be a reference point for other researchers, policy makers and the general populace.

1.7 Scope of Study

The study covers the analytic and critical examination of the challenges and prospects of democracy, good governance, and economic development in Nigeria. In the course of this analysis, effort is made to critically examine the challenges to the concepts of democracy, good governance, and economic development in Nigeria, and possible solutions are proffered to alleviate the problem and achieve the earlier stated objectives of the study. The period of this study covers 2016–2024.

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal republic in West Africa, bordering Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It comprises 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja is located. Nigeria is officially a democratic secular country. The modern state originated from British colonial rule beginning in the 19th century, and took its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914. Nigeria became a formally independent federation in 1960 and achieved a continuous democratic governance from 1999. The 2023 general elections, however, were described by Onwuharaonye et al. (2024) as the worst and most rigged election since the return of democratic rule, pointing to the deep-seated challenges of democratic consolidation in the country.

1.8 Organisation of the Study

This research work is structured in five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, which states the problem the study sets out to examine as well as the objectives of the study. The second chapter is the review of related literature with respect to the basic concepts of this study. The third chapter presents the research methodology and design. The fourth chapter is the analysis and discussion of findings while the fifth chapter is the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations based on the findings of this work.

1.9 Definition of Terms

• Democracy: This is a set of institutions that fulfil at least two essential requirements; ability to elicit as accurately as possible the opinions of the people on who should be their representatives and how the country ought to be governed.

• Good Governance: This is the process through which a state’s affairs are managed effectively in the area of public accountability, responsiveness and transparency, and all of which must be in the interest of the governed.

• Economic Development: A process of societal advancement, where improvement in the wellbeing of the people, reduction in poverty, and creation of employment are the major characteristics. This is generated through partnerships and linkages with other sectors, organisations and other groups in the society.

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