Abstract
The democratic transition process, which almost all African States have inevitably swung into since the early 1980s, has made their vulnerability to social and economic crises more intense. The problems that are concomitants of these transitions, which have exacerbated the extant socio-economic problems, have been dramatized by the increased level of poverty, widening income gap, sustained low (negative in many cases) growth rate, etc. in the African states. Democracy in Africa has thus deepened the contradictions in the economy and between the weak and the powerful in both absolute and relative terms. This paper is directed at unraveling these conflicting realities, particularly the implications of the patterns for overall socio-economic development. A study of Nigeria’s experiences at `democratising' permits a clearer appreciation of the nature and trends of democracy in Africa. This is done within the context of the political economy frame work. This paper argues that, democratization in Africa is one which focuses mainly on economic deregulation and liberalization while at the same time denying the need for political decentralization that can give the weak and poor access to the gains of development, and that, the prebendial nature of politics in Africa makes it an exclusive business for the rich thus narrowing the possibility for empowerment of the poor people at the long run. It is our conclusion therefore, that the above contradictions can only be resolved if the right political context for economic democratization is created, because, in Africa, politics, more then anything else constraints economic development. Keywords: Democracy, Democratization, Socio-Economic Crises, Development and Political Economy DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-8-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2021
Highlights
The implosion of communism which ended the ideological Cold War between the East and West has left the world with the dominant superpower in the USA
The nature and character of the political economy of most States in Africa, as they currently are, is basically at variance and incompatible with the principles and conditions for successful democratization, the process has created so much social and economic crises in these countries. This is so for Nigeria where the current living standard of the citizenry is not in significant ways better than what they were in the pre-transition years
This paper examines the entire gamut of the democracy project and the dichotomies and contradictions it has produced and enhanced in a third world country like Nigeria
Summary
The nature and character of the political economy of most States in Africa, as they currently are, is basically at variance and incompatible with the principles and conditions for successful democratization, the process has created so much social and economic crises in these countries. This paper examines the entire gamut of the democracy project and the dichotomies and contradictions it has produced and enhanced in a third world country like Nigeria.
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