Lack of interaction between government and private sector. Another problem of Nigeria's democracy is the mentality that electoral positions can be used as private properties or entitlements. One of the major economic problems of Nigeria is the lack of communication between the government and the private sector. KEYWORDS: Democracy, Electoral Process, E-Voting INTRODUCTION . 1. Shanum (2013) maintains that "the progress of any nation rests on the stature or standard of its leadership and how they can bring this to bear on the welfare of . On October 1 Nigeria added to its list of vital statistics a new status as the world's fourth largest democracy. The mode of transfer power from one government to another is always accompanied by tension. Corruption takes many forms and infiltrates all political institutions and economic sectors. Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and . 2 Statement of the Problem Democracy has won for itself a household name across the globe. Ted Henderson, the founder, hooked a radio antenna up to a computer in a friend's apartment close enough to the Capitol to get the signals, and translated it into data and a push alert for his . The flagrant violation of human rights in democratic Nigeria by so many governmental agencies casts doubt on the facticity of real democratic practice in Nigeria. The need to have a genuine and lasting democracy in Nigeria is a task which must be achieved if Nigeria is to be categorized in the comittee of developed nations. . Several lives have been lost in the process. Respect for human rights enriches democracy and makes These included war, violence, corruption, poverty, and hunger. This stems from the imposition of the political leaders by members of the elite, candidates who are loyal to them, who will help them achieve their personal interests and agenda. Second, it invests in the comfort of officials rather than in human and material resources. Advertisement. Nigeria. The Problems Affecting Democracy in Nigeria: Corruption Corruption has become a culture in Nigeria such that it now looks strange to condemn it. Corruption is at the root of many of Nigeria's problems. a range of challenges has been identified as the incipient obstacles to the democratic vision of nigeria, from the ubiquitous phenomenon of corruption to 'godfatherism', poverty to selfish interests of leaders or the inefficiency of leaders, etc. In the southern part of Nigeria, there is the menace of kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery. Corruption pervades the daily lives of Nigerians. Many people believe that Nigeria cannot survive without corruption. Smith (2009) operationalises democracy as "a system of government that provides meaningful The elections were moved by six weeks, to March 28 . . Conflicttriggered by political competition and communal, ethnic, religious or resource allocation rivalriesposes a major threat to democracy. The problem of federalism in Nigeria impinges on democratic practices. Mar 18, 2010. Other variables indicate that adult Literacy is 44% and the percentage of people living in poverty is 49% as against 43% in 1985. Nigeria is a plural/heterogeneous society that should, therefore, desist from practicing such divisive/nepotic tendencies to avoid feelings of not being included or left out in Nigeria's federalism. Conger J et al (1988) Behavioural Dimension of charismatic leadership Chicago, University of Chicago press. These issues remain critical governance problems: Leadership challenges, corruption, lack of transparency, constitutional and electoral reforms, rising civil strife, poverty, unemployment, godfatherism, lack of human security and human rights. The paper sums up the conclusion that the state in Nigeria is anti-thetical to the survival ofdemocracy since the,state has become politicised and instrumentalised into a partisan state that is at once the arena and object ofparticularist conflicts. While recognizing the importance of these aforementioned problems, in this The country is notorious as one of the most corrupted countries in the world. Lack of trust in the Judicial system: The . Read also 10 most corrupt countries in the world One of the possible solutions could be learning from past mistakes and stopping the neglect of the country. Poverty. . Nigeria also borders the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea) to the south. First, it is spendthrift. The challenges are voter apathy, Elite-Manipulated Democracy, gender Issues and Parties without Ideologies. Second, it invests in the comfort of officials rather than in human and material resources. The challenges that poverty and illiteracy pose to Nigeria democracy cannot be over-emphasized. The total. The implementation of an epistocratic system of governance within the Nigerian context must be incremental, bearing in mind that Nigeria's democracy is still evolving. However, change cannot be spontaneous. Poverty and Illiteracy make the people gullible and they can be easily bought over by corrupt politicians. The failure of democracy to guarantee positive development outcomes is attributed to poor political leadership and weak institutions driven by the absence of developmental elites and state capture. DEMOCRACY AND THE PROBLEMS OF FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth with a population of about 140 million people and over 350 distinct language groups, successfully transmitted to democratic governance on May 29, 1999 after so many years of military rule. . Nigeria's military is ironically the cause of, and the solution to, many of the country's security problems. Social injustice has become an issue in Nigerian democracy. In Nigeria, democracy has not yielded the expected results due to the character of the political elites who has a limited understanding of what governance requires (Agulanna, 2006). The need to have a genuine and lasting democracy in Nigeria is a task which must be achieved if Nigeria is to be categorized in the comittee of developed nations. Democracy has so many faces that make it a unique concept (Diamond, 2005). Development and its usage in contemporary social science disciplines is not 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. The modern-day Nigerian democracy has been described as 'stomach democracy'. Its failure matters because the peace and prosperity of Africa and preventing. The flagrant violation of human rights in democratic Nigeria by so many governmental agencies casts doubt on the facticity of real democratic practice in Nigeria. That is to say, democracy thrives on and is sustained by accountability. Democracy in Nigeria is facing three major challenges and there is no better time to discuss these challenges than when conversations are ongoing around International democracy day.Lack of trust in the judicial system, Electoral malpractices and Money politics and Unfulfilled manifestos. By this, they should initiate policies and mechanisms for citizens and private . Two of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa are poor management of natural resources and electoral abuse, according to Huguette Labelle, former . Democracy encourages the citizens to take part in the political process and at different levels through different means .This paper examines the concept of democracy, elections and political participation in Nigeria since the return of democracy in Nigeria 1999 to 2 011. But Nigeria will only have effective governance when the right people are saddled with the responsibility to govern. Problems of Democracy in Nigeria: 1. The problem with Nigeria is democracy - political parties specifically.. Then, eligible and good-hearted citizens cannot win elections because of money politics. As Africa's most populous country, largest economy and most notable democracy, Nigeria is a bellwether for the continent. . Democracy therefore is a desirable ideal to which every country should aim. Loyalty is to party ahead of the country.. These included war, violence, corruption, poverty, and hunger. Corruption remains a problem in Nigeria and especially in her world of politics. In Nigeria, the current population as estimated by Human Development report for instance has over 196 million people. failed to achieve democracy. This tension is anchored on the fact that leaders are imposed. Does democracy thrives will in a federal system of government after identifying the problems the researcher will put up some recommendations which will help if implemented to go a long way to solve the persistent federalism problems in Nigeria. However, change cannot be spontaneous. That takes me to the final part of this presentation: issues, challenges and prospects of democratising in Nigeria. South Africa Under Apartheid In fact, the welfare of the common man . Democracy: Issues, Challenges and Prospects Democracy may be a process not an event, but it is a myth to assume any country can develop without democracy. But the kind of democracy practised by Abuja has delivered neither improved standards of living nor abstract benefits such as press freedom or human rights . Nonetheless, Nigeria was increasing its oil exports and experiencing economic growth. Ansaru is an Islamist terrorist organisation based in northern Nigeria, and is proscribed by the UK. The implementation of an epistocratic system of governance within the Nigerian context must be incremental, bearing in mind that Nigeria's democracy is still evolving. Insecurity is unarguably the greatest threat to Nigeria nascent democracy. In Idike (2013), conceptual issues in democracy have also been highlighted as follows: democracy is a political system in which the people in a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. More than 70% of the population of Nigeria live below the poverty line. 72 For a detailed discussion of the development, growth and characteristics of democracy in the Greek City States, see Claude Ake . Most of the people in Nigeria did not use the opportunity to vote in the 2011 election to vote for a leader they want and some of the parties in the elections had no ideologies which hinder democracy to be consolidated. corruption, no doubt, out of all, stands out as a monster amongst the other challenges against In Nigeria, the current population as estimated by Human Development report for instance has over 196 million people. DEMOCRACY AND PROBLEMS OF FISCAL FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA (1999-2009) This study is on democracy and problems of fiscal federalism in Nigeria. It can then be said that as a result of the serious public accountability issues in Nigeria, we have completely stripped democracy of virtually all its meaning. Like Nigeria, a major challenge to democracy in Africa is not the prevalence of ethnic diversity, but the use of identity politics to promote narrow tribal interests, i.e. It emerged in 2012 and is motivated by an anti-Nigerian Government and anti-Western agenda. Democracy and Development in Nigeria, Economic and Environmental Issues. . List of problems in Nigeria. The major problems of Nigerian democracy includes: Undue favoritism High handedness Marginalization Religious intolerance Ethnic conflict Greater percentage of uneducated citizens Greed Inexperienced leadership Shabby Constitution O yes members (band wagon) Corruption which is the father of them all Some politicians are in office just for the singular aim of stealing. future of democracy in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The relative stability and sustenance of multi-party democracy holds good prospects for democracy in Nigeria.105 A cursory glance at the political history of Nigeria reveals that the current . It has gained popularity because it is believed to be a sine-qua-non for growth and development. In modern democracies, supreme authority is . Nigeria shares borders with the Republic of Niger to the North, the Republics of Cameroon and Chad to the east and the Republic of Benin to the west. The list was already impressive. One African in four is a Nigerian; with a population of 80 million or more, Nigeria is larger than any country in Europe. ), Culture and Democracy (Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press, 1997), pp. In Nigeria, democratic practice and its consequent protection of human rights are not what they ought to be. Nigerian Sociological . 1. 80% of the Nigerian population is poor and uneducated. As for Nigeria, weakened both by political decay and economic crisis, 'democratic transition' was more of an obligation than a choice for the political class of Nigeria. First, it is spendthrift. Keywords: Insecurity, Extra-judicial and political Killings, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Hostage Taking and Economic Frustration Introduction The Real Problem With Nigeria's Democracy. M. E. (2005) THE STATE AND THE PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA. A society that can't act to protect itself from outrages like Uvalde is no longer a democracy in any meaningful sense. There are many other factors that contribute to the terrorist movement in Nigeria, some of which are the injustices, poverty, class inequality, the failure of social services and more. Related to the political impediments toward the survival of democracy in Nigeria is the economic angle, whereinthe practice ofdemocracy since 1999 has been characterized by severe economic and social problems. Nonetheless, Nigeria was increasing its oil exports and experiencing economic growth. It has been amended a few times over the years and it is not different from the electoral constitutions being used in other democratic . Nigerian democracy is a brand of democracy that spends so much to accomplish so little (where and when it achieves anything at all). The problem has been Nigeria, Africa's most populous democracy, celebrates her 50th year as an independent nation in October 2010. The problems of democracy in Nigeria are discussed below: 1. Ansaru is also broadly aligned with Al Qaeda. Nigerian democracy has three outstanding features. Weaknesses in the system. positing that Nigeria's democracy is endangered as political intolerance, and economic frustration gather momentum in the form of assassinations, intimidations, threats and hostage taken across Nigeria. 227-228. PARTY politics means different things to different people in Nigeria. Related to the political impediments toward the survival of democracy in Nigeria is the economic angle, wherein the practice ofdemocracy since 1999 has been characterized by severe economic and social problems. . A weakening economy, rising insecurity and violent conflicts threaten progress made in its democratic development. Against the above background that this study is proposed to critically examine the challenges and prospects of democracy in uniting Nigeria. Classifications Library of Congress JQ3096 .P755 2001 The Physical Object Format Ade Okeaya Inneh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in his paper titled: The Adjudicatory process and the survival of Democracy (2010), postulates that the court being the tool of the judiciary, is the . Respect for human rights enriches democracy and makes Nigeria has a strong Electoral Act. Nigeria comprises of 36 different states with Abuja being the federal . The corruption, selfishness, repression etc are all sponsored and enabled by political parties and the alliances formed amongst members. Consequently, our fledgling democracy is encumbered by many challenges, particularly electoral . The problems of African democracy with tribalism [Article] "Nothing in Nigeria's political history captures her problem of national integration more graphically than the chequered fortune of the word tribe in her vocabulary. Accountability lies at the heart of a democratic government. "Unable to keep its citizens safe and secure, Nigeria has become a fully failed state of critical geopolitical concern. The framework of analysis adopted is Group Theory. It is as a result of this that this paper has chosen to operationalise the major concepts of democracy and bicameralism to bring out all the virtues of the concepts. The opposition of groups like Nadeco and Abacha's death in 1998 ushered in Nigeria's democracy in 1999 and in many ways, Mr Tinubu, a former Mobil oil executive . In Africa, a . Sabo Bako, "Problems of Democracy in Nigeria: Cultural Imperatives and Impediments" in Yakubu Nasidi and Iyortange Igoli (eds. Many government institutions do not adequately engage with citizens or the private sector and lack the capacity to carry out their mandates. Although Nigeria transitioned to democracy 22 years ago, the consequences of . tribalism. In the northern part of the country, there is the problem of a mindless sect, Boko Haram! The causes of corruption include greed, tribalism and nepotism, and the general disposition towards corruption in the country. On February 7, 2015, Nigeria's electoral commission announced that it would be postponing a fiercely contested election between Nigeria's incumbent President Jonathan and former military dictator turned opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. Vol. It is also the world's eighth largest producer of crude oil and has been the United States' second largest supplier for six . Moses Ochonu. Problems and Prospects of Sustaining Democracy in Nigeria by Bamidele A. Ojo, June 2001, . David, O. S. (2005) Good Governance in Nigeria New Age publication 3 rd April. Answer (1 of 524): In 2002, a paper, Classical and Liberal Democracy: Singapore and Jamaica, was published by H. Werlin. Nigerian democracy is a brand of democracy that spends so much to accomplish so little (where and when it achieves anything at all). 2, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, University of Ilorin. The solution to our problems is not military dictatorship, but ensuring that democracy truly works in Nigeria. To solve this, the government needs to foster interaction with the private sector. failed to achieve democracy. This paper asserts that Nigerian democracy has three outstanding features. What is rather interesting about this paper is that Werlin put forth the idea that Singapore and Jamaica were so shockingly similar in the 1960's that Jamaica's highly (Western. Nigeria's Biggest Problem Is Corruption. There's an assumption that despite multiple deprivations, Nigerians can 'take solace in the knowledge' that they have democracy, writes Moses Ochonu. To the civil society it ought to be a vocation of service through which political leadership of the country is recruited and . Democracy in Nigeria is facing three major challenges and there is no better time to discuss these challenges than when conversations are ongoing around International democracy day.Lack of trust in the judicial system, Electoral malpractices and Money politics and Unfulfilled manifestos Advertisement The tribe has been accepted at one time as a friend, rejected as an enemy at another, and finally smuggled in through . This is because of the inability of leaders to account for the funds allocated to the office. Socio-politically Inequality Social and economic and political inequality in Nigerian democracy is one permanent feature, and you will that there are some set of persons, who have access to power, while others do not. A trained accountant, it was the activities of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (Nadeco) group, where he was a member, that brought him into Abacha's crosshairs. The purpose of this paper is to attempt a critical appraisal of the pace, practise, pattern, priorities, problems and prospects of Nigerian democracy. Nigeria's population growth rate hovers around 2.6%. Corruption. Other variables indicate that adult Literacy is 44% and the percentage of people living in poverty is 49% as against 43% in 1985. There are no ideals nor plan, just corruption and self-perpetuation at any cost. future of democracy in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Nigeria ranks 144th most corrupt in a list of 180. Some of these problems are not only getting worse, but appear to defy solutions. We call on President Olusegun Obasanjo, the National Assembly, the Governors, the State Legislatures and the Local Government Authorities to behave more responsibly to ensure that military rule is for ever confined to the ash heap of . Democracy with moral imperatives is a vehicle for genuine development. Corruption The democratic era of Nigeria has witnessed a high rate of corruption on the path of both elected and appointed officials. Implement legal instruments and standards. Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Institute of Peace and Conflicts Resolution (IPCR) and many other international affairs analysts have proffered solutions to democratic issues . Despite Obasanjo's efforts, Nigeria was still beset by a variety of problems. While it remains true that Nigeria is governed by democratically elected leaders at the federal and state levels, Nigeria is yet to institutionalise democracy after a century of existence as a . Problems and Prospects of Sustaining Democracy in Nigeria This edition was published in June 2001 by Nova Science Publishers. Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria E-mail: dr.mbumar@yahoo.com Abstract Leadership succession is the problem facing Nigeria since 1960. As the clich states, 'As Nigeria goes, so goes Africa'. Since 2012, the group has kidnapped at least numerous hostages, mainly Europeans. South Africa Under Apartheid Let's go through the list of the most prominent ones. Amid deepening distrust in government and institutions, Nigeria has significant work to do in improving national, state and local security and governance . Although Nigeria is a very wealthy country, majority of Nigeria's population still suffer different social problems in Nigeria today. In Nigeria, democratic practice and its consequent protection of human rights are not what they ought to be. Download Emergence Of Democratic Governance In Liberia Challenges And Prospects books , Liberia was the first country on the continent of Africa to gain independence as a free and sovereign nation. It is so sad to hear that the government, which is set up to build the country and fight any form of corruption, is now stealing from her own people. Democracy with moral imperatives is a vehicle for genuine development. Development and its usage in contemporary social science disciplines is not But Nigeria will only have effective governance when the right people are saddled with the responsibility to govern. Nigeria's democracy. With the label of democracy getting detached from the content of the concept, even the 'home-grown' non-democratic regimes in Africa have appropriated the term. The relative stability and sustenance of multi-party democracy holds good prospects for democracy in Nigeria.105 A cursory glance at the political history of Nigeria reveals that the current . Despite Obasanjo's efforts, Nigeria was still beset by a variety of problems. Prospects For Democracy In Liberia by Josiah Joekai, Emergence Of Democratic Governance In Liberia Challenges And Prospects read eBooks online.