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Without economic development it will be very difficult for Nigeria to achieve a steady democratic development, says Nigerian journalist Zacheaus Somorin.

That Africa is being faced with many challenges in its effort to make democracy sustainable. Since individual survival comes first before political consideration, it thus becomes difficult, in the realistic sense, for democracy itself to survive without economic development. All over Africa, the issue of good governance has always been an intractable topic for academic and political discourse. Thus Nigeria is not an exception. While each nation contends with it own problem, developed nations inclusive, Nigeria, being the heartbeat of Africa, with vast resources, has been trying to resolve its development challenges; the first attempt of which was the fight against the military that had no development agenda but power for its own sake.

With the enthronement of democracy in the country in 1999, there were global expectations as how the nation will surmount its many pixilated problems. With a militarist psyche that had held people down for years, there emerged a democracy that would heal the wounds of the urgly past.

President Olusegun Obasanjo, after taking the mantle of leadership, he emerged as a quintessential African leader with his strong diplomatic acumen to take on the world. While touring the world to ensure that the Paris club cancels the nations debts, pressure mounted at home for poverty eradication. However, the global trip had a positive impact: the debts were cancelled. Despite that, Nigerians still demanded for more as the global gesture aimed at getting the nation out of its economic misery was contrasted with the growing emergence of unacceptable class crisis between the Nigerian people and the elected political elites. In the most astronomical manner, the lawmakers budgeted for themselves unbelievable fat wages.

Thus, activists, journalists and those who challenged the military became disillusioned asking if democracy, is afterall, was what the nation needs to survive economically as a people. Political reforms were called for; with strong opposition party demanding for better governance. Expectedly, the consequence of the pressure was the regional defeat of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2003 elections.

One of the challenges of democracy in Africa and Nigeria is resistance to political change. And without political change, it is expected that concrete consolidation of democratic principles would be difficult. Attainment of power through electoral means, most times, within the continent, is motivated by the esoteric interest of having access to resources hence the tendency of an average leader to hold on to power despite governance failure.

Evidently, when the purpose of the national conference inaugurated for the purpose of restructuring the nations federal system was suspected to being tilted towards enshrining in the constitution a third term for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, analyst began to wonder if the nations democracy will survive with party hegemony. The global outcry against what transpired during the 2007 election almost took the nation deeply backward there was a presidential declaration that late Shehu Musa Yaradua must win the election whether Nigerians like it or not. Regional elections were consequently flawed with the real winner going to court to claim their mandates back. Simply, the European Union declared the 2007 election as the worst in the history of Nigeria.

As it is obtainable all over the world, industrial development which drives employment is not possible without stable power supply. Several global co-operations have been established to ensure that Nigeria achieve stable electricity for its industrial growth. Since 2009, billion of dollars have been budgeted in that regard. But its seems there is no political will to make it work as some esoteric elitist cliques, possibly more powerful than the government, have been taming all afford at revamping the power sector. Summarily, the seeming performance of the present administration in the power sector ended when the former energy minister, Prof Berth Nnaji resigned

The ongoing national conference set up by President Goodluck Jonathan is aimed at consolidating the nations democracy thus avoiding the possible disintegration which the United States has earlier predicted. The hot debate at the conference has been based on the same question: what has been the impact of democracy on the people in terms economic empowerment and security.

The rest is here:
Nigeria and the Challenge of Democracy in Africa