Democracy, Development and Livelihoods in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

Nigeria is the fourth largest democracy in the world with a population of over 180 million, as well as the sixth largest supplier of oil and therefore possesses enormous economic and development potentials. However, the majority of Nigerians remain extremely poor due largely to bad governance. The expectation was that return to democratic rule in Nigeria after several years of military dictatorship would accelerate development. On the contrary, Nigeria still lags behind in development indices such as poverty reduction, employment generation, effective healthcare delivery and level of corruption. This paper which is anchored on structuration theoretical approach analyzed the relationship between democracy and development in Nigeria and posited that democracy has not been able to bring about the much anticipated positive social change. Relying on four structural indices for measuring development, the paper contended that Nigeria has performed poorly and although the has now experienced sixteen years of uninterrupted democratic rule, there is still no clear direct relationship between democracy and development in the country. The paper therefore recommended that Nigerian political leaders should, articulate and conscientiously pursue democratic ideals that will positively stimulate development at all levels. Specifically, the paper strongly advocated that Nigerian leaders and followers should adhere to the principle of accountability, transparency and also ensure that the public is adequately informed during formulation of budgets and other vital public policies.