In the context of the evoting option therefore, the paper finally proposes solutions to the electoral process experimentations in nigerias democracy. Key words, democracy, politics, dissent, mass media, democratization process. Democracy, good governance and development in nigeria. Nigeria 2 country reports on human rights practices for 2018 united states department of state bureau of democracy, human rights and labor the government took steps to investigate alleged abuses but fewer steps to prosecute officials who committed violations, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government. Democratization in nigeria african journals online. A conceptual approach the concept of democracy has received many definitions since it was loosely defined by a onetime great american president, abraham lincoln as the. Democracy like most concepts in the social sciences lacks precise definition. However, scholars have put forward different views regarding the meaning ofthe. Idris ahmed jamo department of public administration, ahmadu bello university zaria abstract 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, but majority of the nigerian. In simple terms, the objective of the paper is to identify and discuss the challenges to democracy and good governance in the country and proffer suggestions for a better democratic nigeria.
Democracy and the future of the nigerian state daniel eseme. Meaning of democracy democracy may be defined as a system of government in which the exercise of political power and authority is vested in the people through their elected representatives. Nevertheless, the author of the paper holds that such difficulties do not make the concept of liberal democracy unsuitable for africa as suggested by other scholars, it is rather insisted that if african countries follow the principles of liberal democracy in good faith, an end to some of the problems of africa is definite. The paper discusses the concept of poverty and elucidates the various methods of measurement used in evaluating poverty. The role of civil society organisations csos in democratic. The concept of democracy it is difficult to reach a consensus on the definition of democracy. The note then goes on to assess some key causal linkages between democracy and development in section iii, discussing in particular modernisation theory and the emergence of democracy. They bridge three distinct practitioner communities that emerged from this new directionthose focusing on governance, on democracy, and on human rights. Joseph, democracy and prebendal politics in nigeria. The concept of democracy is a fluid concept and has received many definitions by scholars either in the classic political studies and in the contemporary world of scholarship. The theoretical framework for the study is cultural relativism. This is after a period of military rule in the past. Media accountability and democracy in nigeria, 19992003.
The basic concept for the democracy ranking of the quality of. Literarily, democracy means rule by the people appadorai 2004 described democracy as a. Since colonial incursion and the attainment of political independence, nigeria like other erstwhile colonial possessions have inculcated the westminsterstyled political system at independence influenced tremulously by an elite class that projects the political culture which could make or mar democracy as a result of the political. This is what darl 1989 describes as ovirtual democracy o, democracy that shares resemblance with true democracy but lacks basic tenets of democracy. Democracy and development in nigeria international society for. Key dimensions of democracy are freedom, equality and control.
The major donors have been meeting frequently in order to discuss development and debt problems and to devise aid strategies for african governments. This article discusses the role of the media in nigeria s fourth republic between 1999 and 2003. As a form of government, the sovereign tradition of democracy was historically inspired by the greek myth of demospeople and kratospower in the greek city state. Democracy and governance in africa democratization in. This paper argues that the problem of development in nigeria is a problem of governance. Judiciary is unable to effectively perform its role in sustaining nigerian democracy, invariably, nigeria democracy is truncated, thus, the inevitability of military intervention in nigeria politics. However, the main idea of democracy is widely accepted to have originated from athens in the 5 th century bc. See the problems and prospects of democracy in nigeria. A critical analysis of the concept of democracy in africa. Democracy, development and security democracy as a system of government has been adopted universally since the turn of the century and.
Credible elections and democratic consolidation in nigeria. Aug 03, 2018 democracy in nigeria problems and prospects. Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Democracy in nigeria problems and prospects information. The concept of citizenship is at the core of education for democracy. On october 1 nigeria added to its list of vital statistics a new status as the worlds fourth. And that nigerians, dispossessed they may be, will be satisfied with a political concept that, as currently practiced in nigeria, stands empty of its substantive content. The paper is segmented into six parts, the introduction, conceptual. Department of mass communication delta state university, abraka, nigeria abstract this paper takes another look at the state of press freedom in nigeria, given fifteen years of uninterrupted democracy in the country. Democracy in nigeria has three unique features which include. The term democracy comes from the greek language and means rule by the simple people.
Employing a case study approach, it highlights as well as analyzes the medias role in insisting on accountability and decency in nigeria s notoriously corrupt public life. The proposal is to broaden the concept of democracy to address two additional spheres. Rejecting britains parliamentary form of democracy, which they had. The concept of democracy is a fluid concept and has received many definitions by. The paper adopted content analysis approach to source its data and concluded that democracy is an ingredient of development. The following paper presents the basic concept for the democracy ranking of the quality of democracy and positions this approach in context of academic discourses about democracy and the quality of democracy. Accountability, transparency, participation, and inclusion represent vital embodiments of the opening to politics that occurred in development work in the 1990s. The paper seeks to establish this important role of nationbuilding and statebuilding in the democratization process by perusing the concepts democracy. It is in the light of these prevailing situations that this paper is designed to highlights the proliferation of arms and its effects on the development of democracy in nigeria. Quality of democracy models commonly emphasize a democracy understanding.
At independence in 1960, nigeria opted for west minster model of constitution and the court. Analysing the relationship between democracy and development. Adekunle carolina academic press durham, north carolina 00 sarsar adekunle final 22212 9. Democracy, political participation and good governance in nigeria.
Over years, nigeria has been wallowing in the coffin of poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, power instability, securities menace, and political hullabaloos, all this has been a problem combating a nation that was once giant of africa, democracy in nigeria. By doing so, the king acknowledged he was bound by law, like others, and granted his subjects legal rights. It must therefore be sustained to evolve and ensure sustainable development. They assume erroneously that democracy is its own justification that simply being baptised with the moniker of democracy is sufficient. Causes of poverty in nigeria were also brought into perspective.
The methodology for this work shall depend on collated secondary data. Nigerias present democratization, which culminated in the countrys fourth republic on may 29, 1999, started amidst great hope and expectations. We reiterate that democracy and development cohabit and inactivity of the former destroys the later. Harvey and harvey 1989 see democracy as a concept that involves among others, setting affairs according to known rules of government, toleration towards. 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. Conceptual and theoretical explorations democracy is the most familiar concept in many political discourses which has not only attracted more attention and fascinated considerable academic and intellectual dialogue than any other social and political concept in the past two. Democracy in africa political changes and challenges edited by saliba sarsar julius o. Democracy and governance in africa africas continuing reliance on foreign aid has increased the opportunities for bilateral and multilateral aid agencies to influence policy making in the region. In a democracy world over and nigeria in particular there is no substitute for open competition between political parties. Concept of democracy and good governance the concepts of democracy and good governance mean different things to different people in the world over.
Thus, democracy as a form of government prides itself on its capacity to execute good governance a concept. This paper is a contribution to the debate on democratization and development in nigeria. The objective of the paper is therefore to examine political parties in nigeria and its role in sustaining the democratic transition in the country. Democracy in nigeria problems and prospects over years, nigeria has been wallowing in the coffin of poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, power instability, securities menace, and political hullabaloos, all this has been a problem combating a nation that was once giant of africa, democracy in nigeria.
269 1280 744 542 359 1141 965 53 873 518 1104 1459 611 344 301 151 1370 32 719 584 371 643 1496 1313 756 1244 602 431 108 1075