BAD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: A THREAT TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BY AGHAOYIBO GOODLUCK CHUKWUALASU

Why do many Nigerians still languish in poverty, suffer from bad roads, poorly equipped healthcare centres, inadequate electricity, insecurity, and other social challenges despite the country’s enormous resources? Many believe that the answer lies in bad governance, which has become a threat to national development and prosperity.

The problem of bad governance in Nigeria has many causes that have worsened the situation since 1960. Some of the causes are corruption, electoral malpractice, selfish leadership, tribalism, and many others.

Tribalism is a pest that has eaten deep into the Nigerian system. This has been one of Nigeria’s major problems since its amalgamation in 1914. People who hold political positions, or any position that is supposed to serve the interests of all, often favour people from their tribe or community. This is clearly seen in present-day Nigeria. Whenever a leader holding political office wants to appoint members of his cabinet, he often appoints a majority from his tribe, whether or not they are capable of holding such positions. They also allocate more revenue to their people and execute more developmental projects in their communities. This has been a major problem in Nigeria, where leaders tend to favour their own tribes while neglecting others. Such an attitude is widely regarded as bad governance.

Another cause of bad governance in Nigeria is the emergence of selfish and corrupt leaders. Incompetent leaders who are elected into power do not have the interests of the people at heart. Their only purpose in office is to satisfy their selfish interests. They use the nation’s money to enrich themselves, spend it on personal desires, obtain loans from foreign countries without any clear plan for repayment, and pay deaf ears to the complaints and criticisms of the people. They do not even mind being unpopular. In Nigeria today, political leaders embezzle public funds and introduce policies that negatively affect the people. Legislative representatives also mismanage funds allocated for the development of their districts and constituencies. As long as corrupt leaders continue to occupy public offices, national development will remain under threat.

Another cause of bad governance in Nigeria, which cannot be overlooked, is electoral malpractice. It denies competent and capable leaders the opportunity to hold public office. In some countries, the rightful winner of an election is not declared. Instead, elections are manipulated, rigged, or annulled. This has been alleged to occur in Nigeria, where candidates who are not believed to have won elections are sometimes declared winners. An example is the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, during which it was alleged that the candidate who won the polls was not declared the winner. Instead, his opponent, who allegedly did not win, was declared the winner. This is considered by many to be a sign of bad governance because leaders who emerge through manipulation are less likely to govern effectively.

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Apart from the causes of bad governance, it has also produced many negative effects. These problems have become the order of the day in Nigeria.

Whenever we discuss national issues, poverty is one of the first things that comes to mind. Since the government has failed to carry out its responsibilities effectively and has done little to reduce poverty, the situation has continued to worsen over the years. Poverty has become a serious problem in Nigeria to the extent that only the extremely wealthy live comfortably. According to United Nations statistics, the average Nigerian lives on less than three dollars a day. This means that more than two-thirds of Nigerians are living in poverty. There have also been several reported cases of people dying from hunger in different parts of the country. Hyperinflation has played a major role in the increase in poverty. This inflation is linked to the imbalance in Nigeria’s economy and is traceable to the policies of the federal government.

Unemployment is another consequence of bad governance in Nigeria. As stated earlier, unemployment did not begin with the current administration, the previous administration, or even after democracy returned in 1999. It has remained a major challenge since the military era. Unfortunately, successive governments have made little or no effort to solve this problem. Many qualified youths who are ready and capable of working remain unemployed. This has led to massive emigration from the country. Many citizens want to leave Nigeria by any available means and migrate to any country that offers better opportunities. Unemployment has also pushed many young people into crime and other illegal activities. This is no longer just a threat to national development; it is gradually weakening the nation.

Insecurity has ravaged Nigeria for many years, and in the last two years, the situation has worsened. Banditry and terrorism are major security challenges in the country today. There have been cases of terrorists attacking places of worship and killing innocent people. Bandits have also invaded villages, kidnapped citizens, and demanded ransom. Many Nigerians believe that the government has the capacity to tackle these security threats but has failed to act for reasons best known to those in authority.

These issues of bad governance have posed a great threat to the development of our dear country. However, there are practical solutions that can help address them.

If leaders who genuinely have the interests of the people at heart emerge, the level of corruption will reduce, and the welfare of the people will improve significantly.

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Elections should be free, fair, and credible. Public officials should stop embezzling public funds, while political leaders and representatives should carry out their responsibilities faithfully. If these measures are taken seriously, Nigeria will become a better nation.

From all that has been discussed—the causes of bad governance, its effects, and some possible solutions—it is clear that bad governance is a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development. It is not a path any nation, especially a developing one like Nigeria, should follow. The only way Nigeria can return to the path of sustainable growth and development is by drastically reducing bad governance through responsible leadership, accountability, and active citizen participation.