Although the years since nigeria s return to civilian rule in 1999 have seen an increased interest in its history and politics, nigeria remains one of the most underresearched african countries. The new civil war broke in 1967 and lasted til 1970. History of democracy in nigeria and when did nigeria. After independence in 1960, that year nigerians became the citizens of the 4th biggest democratic country in the word nigeria experienced its first military coup in 1966. Nigeria s present democratization, which culminated in the countrys fourth republic on may 29, 1999, started amidst great hope and expectations.
The civil war then broke out in 1967 and lasted all through 1970. The analysis of the above upheaval will reveal that our democracy is under siege prompting dauda and avidime 2007 to argue that the current security situation in the country is a major obstacle to the consolidation of democracy. A brief history of liberia international center for. One of the many factors shaping it is the history of the country in question. Culture of nigeria history, people, clothing, traditions. Democracy in nigeria problems and prospects information. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. It has today repositioned itself to deliver credible elections that would sustain nigeria s nascent democracy. This study will also touch all the lacunas of democracy in nigeria. There are some tenets which are considered to be essential in a.
In an historic election, voters declared theyre tired of economic growth. Department of history and international studies, ekiti state university. The nascent democracy in nigeria is plagued with myriad of intrigues. There is the dearth of vertical and horizontal compositions of unified interests in terms of. The first set of political parties to be formed in nigeria was formed. As a permanent body, inec comprises the workforce recruited since 1987 under the defunct national electoral commission nec. Under the 1999 constitution, executive power is vested in a president who serves as both the head of state and the chief executive, is directly elected to a fouryear term, and nominates the vice president and members of the cabinet. The term is usually defined as a system in which all individuals belonging to a certain society have an equal share in political power. The discovery was made by shellbp, at the time the sole concessionaire. Nigeria joined the ranks of oil producers in 1958 when its first oil field came on stream producing 5,100 bpd.
The political, economic and social dynamics of nigeria. Nigeria has had a long and unfortunate history of communal conflicts and ethnoreligious violence. Usaid has a long and proud history of assistance to nigeria that dates back to 1960, the year that nigeria became the 26th african nation to gain independence. Democracy in nigeria is being starved of the basic tools for survival. Also the culture and tradition of each states in nigeria. History of political parties in nigeria will never be complete if mention is not made of the various political bigwigs in the history of this country. History of the nigerian petroleum industry oil was discovered in nigeria in 1956 at oloibiri in the niger delta after half a century of exploration. Since then, the nature of the democratic project has been the subject of debate in various circles. The elections, which welcomed back democracy to nigeria has succeeded in birthing another two separate terms totally eight years of uninterrupted democracy with former military ruler, general. Democracy makes all forces struggle repeatedly to realize their interests and devolves power from groups of people to sets of rules.
Aside the print media, the television stations have also played their part in the fight against corruption and in the defense of democracy. Democracy and development in nigeria international society for. The history of nigeria can fraced to prehistoric settlers nigerianswhich are great bevuses living in the area as early as 1100 bc. May 29 was initially the official democracy day in nigeria, marking when the newly elected olusegun obasanjo took office as the president of nigeria in 1999, ending multiple decades of military rule that began in 1966 and had been interrupted only by a brief period of democracy from 1979 to 1983. So far the local government system in nigeria has not been stable and thus its future remains bleak, uncertain and insecure. Prior to talking about the challenges facing democracy in nigeria and solutions to them, let us take a quick look into the postcolonial democratic history of nigeria. Aside fighting to win democracy, the nigerian press has been at the forefront of sustaining nigeria s nascent democracy. In essence, it has become almost fashionable in nigeria for an incumbent administration to introduce one change or another in the institution. Thus, socioeconomic and political inequality is a prominent and. Yes since the return to civil rule in 1999 by the military government of gen. In the 5th century bc athens pioneers an experiment in direct democracy, as opposed to the representative democracy of modern societies. Brief history of democracy in nigeria after nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country was ranked as the citizens of the 4th biggest democratic country the world over. Bwatiye traditional communication systems and its role in. Challenges facing democracy in nigeria and solutions.
It is offered as a helping hand for political decisionmakers and opinion formers in the more than 100 countries in which the friedrichebertstiftung promotes democracy. Democracy is a system of processing conflicts in which outcomes depend on what participants do, but no single force controls what occurs and its outcomes. Even though nigeria acquired republican status in 1963, the first republic in nigeria began on the 1 st of october, 1960 and came to an end on the 15 th of january, 1966. Analysing the democracy and democratic practise in nigeria. Jean herskovits is professor of history at the state university of new york at purchase and spent 18 months of the transition in nigeria. The colonial and precolonial eras in nigeria this project is based on the goal of explaining an event in the relatively recent past by working progressively further into the past to uncover more and more information that seems to bear on the issues. The uncertainty of outcomes is inherent in democracy.
Nation of the world have different system of government that is being practiced which ranges from monarchy, aristocracy, democracy just to mention in few, but history will never be completely written if the system of government was not included in the history of the nation. In this lesson, learn about the history of the young country of nigeria, which gained independence from britain in 1960. These exemplary steps towards democracy in west africa were not secluded to the region, nor were they the first in africas long history. It is also the worlds eighth largest producer of crude oil and has been the united states second largest supplier for six. Though it is obvious that the country still have many hurdles to scale through, nigerians at large are envisaging a bright and prosperous future with better economy, improved standard of living, and security. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. They came not from any doctrine that the people, all free members of the clan, have a right to rule when they became elders an elder was sworn into office by popular vote, but from the feeling that an end. The 1999 elections in nigeria whether free and fair would go a long way in the history of democracy in nigeria. On october 1 nigeria added to its list of vital statistics a new status as the worlds fourth largest democracy. History of democracy in nigeria after nigeria gained independence in the year 1960, the country experienced its first military coup in the year 1966. All evidence suggests the early settlement of nigeria millennia before the spread.
A brief history of liberia peter dennis the international center for transitional justice may 2006. What are the reasons for the creation of local government in nigeria. Practice, problems and prospects adeyinka theresa ajayi1 and emmanuel oladipo ojo2 1. It is copied by her greek allies and colonies at the time, but it has rarely been attempted anywhere else since switzerland in the th century is one example. As a result, private organizations are largely free of government control. Democracy day in nigeria is being celebrated on the 12th of june this year. Pdf the history of democracy geoff kennedy academia. It was possible to restore the democratic model for a couple of years in 1978. Political leadership and corruption in nigeria since 1960.
Democracy day is june 12, a national public bank holiday in nigeria. They have argued that democracy is yet to be fully entrenched in the hearts and minds of politicians and average citizens alike. A democracy is a polity in which collective decisions laws, policies, procedures are the expression, direct or indirect, of the preferences and choices of. An educated citizenry is the best guarantee for a thriving democracy. Inasmuch as the primary expectation of electorates is to reap the bene.
This is the first time the day has been marked on this date. Yet the power of the democratic idea has prevailed through a long and turbulent history, and democratic government, despite continuing challenges, continues to evolve and flourish throughout the world. Role in enhancing participatory democracy among bwatiye people of numan and lamurde local government areas of adamawa state, nigeria. The education in this area implies the action of giving systematic studying to enlighten the professionals. But you have to write or enlightened the people on the history of nigeria with the different ethnicity and the different tribe we have. This paper is a contribution to the debate on democratization and development in nigeria. Aside discussing the political parties in nigeria, this write up will equally discuss about the political history of nigeria. The history of nigeria can fraced to prehistoric settlers nigerians which are great bevuses living in the area as early as 1100 bc. History of political parties in nigeria nigerian finder. Presently in nigeria, democracy is been celebrated yearly on may 29 th. Numerous ancient african civilizations settled in the region that is today nigeria, such as the kingdom of nri, the benin empire, and the oyo empire. History of democracy including elements of democracy, the scandinavian thing, communes in italy, communes elsewhere, landsgemeinde in schwyz, parliament, two english parliaments, estates general in france, estates general elsewhere, the polish sejm.
In the briefest possible way, we can offer a preliminary definition of democracy in these terms. In this busy private realm of democratic society, citizens. The body organized all transitional elections that ushered in the 4th republic on may 29 1999. It offers the directions that are necessary for the future accountants to get the profession in nigeria. Taylors vice president, moses blah, finished the remaining term and was followed by a transition. For nigeria democracy to move toward democratic consolidation and good governance in fourth republic, we urge. The records of its existence date as far back as the 6 th century b. The ancient athenian ideal of direct plebiscite has over time transformed into a prefascist state of. Abdulsalam abubakar who handed over power to the then democratically elected president in person of chief olusegun obasanjo in may 29, 1999, which makes this present democratic government in nigeria to be the longest running democracy in the history of the country. For four years, between 1979 and 1983, democracy surfaced briefly. Journal of nigeria studies volume 1, number 2, fall 2012 political leadership and corruption in nigeria since 1960. Nigeria, however, had experienced the first military coup in the year, 1966, while its civil war actually broke out in the year, 1967, and lasted up till 1970. Learn when the country became a republic and how its democratic path. Department of history and international studies, ekiti state university, adoekiti, ekiti state, nigeria.