XXXXXXXXXX

INvFS1 INC><:G>62010
THE POLICY AGENDA
JcYZghiVcY^c\C^\Zg^Vh
YZbdXgVi^XigVch[dgbVi^dc
After a series of military coups and a stalled attempt
at civilian rule, Nigeria has fully embraced democracy
C><:G>6>H6Cuncommon counIry. In recenI Iimes, she
has experienced a raIher sIaccaIo poliIical hisIory IhaI
has helped scepIics Io quesIion her sIabiliIy and march
Iowards advancing Ihe welIare and Ireedom oI her
people. AIIer Ihe miliIary era, many Nigerians righIly
believed IhaI democracy would usher in a new lease
oI liIe. 1his expecIaIion has noI Iully maIerialised, due
Io whaI has been described as a crisis oI leadership.
AddiIionally, whaI has leII many more baIed is Ihe
IacI IhaI Ihe Nigerian projecI, even in Ihe Iace oI
seemingly insurmounIable odds, has conIinued Io
ride Ihe sIorm. UndersIanding Ihe various IaceIs and
undercurrenIs IhaI acI upon Ihe Nigerian sIaIe and
Ihe challenges she has Iaced in Ihe pasI will help Io
properly deconsIrucI iIs dynamics.
During Ihe miliIary era, all signiLcanI poliIical
power remained concenIraIed in Ihe Iederal
miliIary governmenI, which meanI IhaI poliIical
decisions and Ihe Iramework Ior economic acIiviIies
were deIermined by decrees. 1his meanI IhaI Ihe
exercise oI Ihe power oI sIaIe was noI deIermined
by consensus, consulIaIion or popular mandaIe. By
exIension, Ihis sIoked eIhnocenIric poliIics, and bred
suspicion and disconIenI, Ihe immediaIe oIIshooI
oI which was widespread disillusionmenI and a lack
oI IaiIh in Ihe insIiIuIional inIegriIy oI Ihe sIaIe.
InsIiIuIions IhaI guaranIeed Iransparency, jusIice,
access and parIicipaIion were puI aside. 1his creaIed
a caIaclysmic scenario Ior building naIional cohesion
and building accounIabiliIy inIo Ihe poliIical sysIem.
1he resulIanI segmenIaIion and deepening oI Ihe old
wounds oI religious bigoIry and eIhnic poliIics became
Ihe recurrenI Iheme.
Finding Ihe appropriaIe insIiIuIional Iramework
Ior Ihe balancing oI power and Ihe exercise oI sIaIe
auIhoriIy Ihrough democraIic insIiIuIions IhaI
guaranIee jusIice is absoluIely criIical Io building a
modern sIaIe because Ihe concenIraIion oI power is
corrupIing by naIure. CommenIaIors on Nigerian
hisIory have conIinued Io gloss over Ihe uninching
hope and IaiIh oI Ihe Nigerian people and Ihe role Ihis
has played in Ihe resilience IhaI has become a sIaple in
Ihe perennial sIruggle Ior Nigerian democracy.
II was noI clear Io Ihose in posiIions oI power IhaI
Ihe way Io Irame Ihe Nigerian economy Io work Ior
democracy was Io pursue poliIical inclusiveness and
diversiLcaIion oI Ihe economy. RaIher, aIIempIs aI
eecing Ihe sIaIe and pursuing secIarian inIeresIs
conIinued Io dominaIe poliIics and weaken
insIiIuIional IrusI. 1his was Ihe reason Ior Ihe Iailure
oI Ihe FirsI Republic and poliIical coaliIions remained
IragmenIed. 1he siIuaIion was worsened by Ihe end
oI Ihe oil boom in mid-1981, when expecIaIions oI
conIinuous growIh and prosperiIy were erroneously
aI a heighI. RaIher Ihan build conLdence, Ihe
governmenI conIinued Io Ihrive on propaganda.
Ejh]^c\[dgeda^i^XVagZ[dgbh
In 200, opIimism was high Ior a peaceIul IransIer oI
power beIween Iwo democraIically elecIed civilian
adminisIraIions, buI opinion so Iar is divided on
cerIain IaceIs oI Ihe laIe PresidenI Umara Yar`Adua`s
adminisIraIion. 1he 200 elecIion was widely believed
Io have been marred by Ihe same sorIs oI irregulariIies
and Iraud as IhaI oI 2003, buI Io a greaIer degree.
1o his crediI, PresidenI Yar`Adua in 200
consIiIuIed Ihe FlecIoral ReIorm Panel shorIly
aIIer his inauguraIion and recalled Ihe conIroversy
surrounding almosI every single elecIion in Nigeria.
He granIed Ihis panel Ihe power Io recommend
sweeping changes Io Nigeria`s elecIoral sysIem, buI
given Ihe counIry`s hisIory and currenI realiIy, Ihere
remains Ihe quesIion oI poliIical will Io push Ihrough
Ihese criIical changes.
However, Nigerians have regained Ihe opporIuniIy
Io decide Iheir IaIe Ihrough a popular decision
process. 1he era oI repression and subjugaIion has
been replaced by an aImosphere oI choice and Iree
expression. 1his new opporIuniIy aI democracy means
IhaI Nigeria has had Io sIarI aIresh aI poliIical as well
as economic reIorms, and evidence oI a deepening
democracy has sIarIed Io emerge. 1his is evidenI in Ihe
I]ZZgVd[
gZegZhh^dcVcY
hjW_j\Vi^dc
]VhWZZc
gZeaVXZYWnVc
Vibdhe]ZgZd[
X]d^XZVcY[gZZ
ZmegZhh^dc
Right: in 2007, optimism
for democracy was high:
Nigerians queue to vote in
presidential elections,
Katsina, northern Nigeria
INvFS1 INC><:G>62010
THE POLICY AGENDA
manner in which Ihe poliIical insIiIuIions have had Io
deal wiIh Iwo very criIical poliIical impasses. 1he LrsI
involved Iormer presidenI Olusegun Obasanjo`s Iailed
aIIempI Io change Ihe consIiIuIion Io allow him Io
run Ior a Ihird Ierm. 1he second was Ihe conIinuing
absence and ill healIh oI Ihe naIion`s Iormer
presidenI, Umara Yar`Adua.
>ckZhi^c\^chiVW^a^ian
1he deregulaIion process oI governmenI has Iaken rooI
and Ioday governmenI has gone IurIher in cemenIing
economic relaIionships wiIh Ihe privaIe secIor wiIh
Ihe inIroducIion oI Ihe public privaIe parInership
Iramework. All oI Ihese demonsIraIe growing
conLdence IhaI Ihe privaIe secIor is beginning Io
invesI in Ihe sIabiliIy and mainIenance oI Ihe sIaIe.
II is also an indicaIion oI Ihe governmenI`s desire
and inIenI Io move IurIher and IurIher away Irom iIs
inglorious pasI oI misIrusI. 1he presenI governmenI
realises Ihe need Ior encouraging privaIe secIor
developmenI and invesImenI drive. For Ihis reason
Ihe vision 2020, which envisages a vision oI growIh
IhaI will propel Nigeria inIo Ihe league oI Ihe 20
largesI economies in Ihe world, is cenIred on privaIe
parIicipaIion in power and energy inIrasIrucIure
developmenI, Iood securiIy and agriculIure, wealIh
creaIion and employmenI, mass IransporIaIion, land
reIorm, and securiIy and educaIion.
A prerequisiIe Ior achieving many oI Ihese
worIhwhile objecIives is curIailing endemic
corrupIion, which sIymies developmenI and IainIs
Nigeria`s business environmenI. Olusegun Obansanjo
undersIood Ihis and Ihe presenI governmenI under
PresidenI Coodluck jonaIhan is well advised Io
conIinue his campaign againsI corrupIion. 1he
People`s DemocraIic ParIy has been in power since
Ihe recenI democraIic opporIuniIy IhaI began in
1999. II has been given Ihe opporIuniIy by Nigerians
Io poinI Io Ihis new direcIion and engender Ihe
developmenI oI consulIaIive and inclusive poliIics
based on popular parIicipaIion.