Leadership, Democracy, and the Nigerian Economy

In this Second Edition of Leadership, Democracy, and the Nigerian Economy: Lessons from the Past and Directions for the Future, Victor Dike skillfully knits together the forces that have set Nigeria back in her quest to enthrone and sustain true political democracy anchored on true federalism, economic growth and development. Since independence, in 1960, the country has mostly been under the claws of autocratic military rulers and corrupt civilian leaders. All these have combined to undermine the sociopolitical and economic state of the society and thus the well-being of the citizens. This thoughtful book argues that during the oil boom of the 1970s money was not a problem for Nigeria, yet the leaders had difficulties refining enough fuel for domestic consumption as they could not fix the dilapidated infrastructure and institutions. Nigeria is today virtually on her knees as she is facing series of economic crises with the dwindling global oil price. The value of the Naira is also plummeting daily with protracted security problems. This book that weaves together theory and practice argues vehemently that lack of committed leadership to design and implement effective policies for sociopolitical and economic development is among the fundamental problems facing Nigeria. He laments that previous leaders have vacated office much richer than they were before they came into office. Contrary to what is obtainable in advanced democracies political parties in Nigeria are not issues-based as "moneybags" control the Nigerian politics. This is because the more money political parties or politicians can throw about for people to grab, the more support they will get from the gullible masses. The failure of the Founding Fathers of Nigeria to create enduring and inclusive democratic and economic systems for peaceful co-habitation of the multi-tribal and multi-religious groups has contributed to the baneful ethnicization of politics in the country. As a result, each ethnic group is fighting for the well-being of its members without any section committed to the development of Nigeria. In the past, that gave military generals the opportunity to take over power at will. Not a lot has changed since the reprise of civilian rule in 1999; Nigeria is still gambling with democracy because the nation lacks functional institutions to transform the system into a true democracy anchored on true federalism. Victor Dike contends that the "anti-growth mentality" of the past leaders has cost the country both "human lives and material resources." Thus Nigeria needs new political leaders with "growth mindset" to navigate her away from the "culture of corruption" and acrimonious politics into a new democratic consolidation and better directions for the future. The future leaders of Nigeria should be individuals with proven commitment to serving the country and its people, and not for their selfish purpose. Nigeria should also diversify her mono-oil economy and refocus attention on the agricultural sector that has long been neglected to enhance food production for domestic consumption and extra for export. The political leaders should design and implement policies that will create employment for the millions of unemployed and under-employed youth to prevent them from getting involved in anti-social activities. They should also develop effective institutions to tackle the unending religious fanaticism, militancy, the Boko Haram insurgency and the Fulani herdsmen that are terrorizing the people and have driven foreign and domestic investors out of the economy. But if the federal government cannot enforce the rule of law political instability and anarchy will continue to retard national development. To utilize the lessons from the past and create new directions for the future, Nigeria must have good citizens. That means empowering the youth with the knowledge and skills to enable them compete effectively in the 21st Century global economy.