Emily Bekele

Comparative Political Systems

Professor Ken Opalo

March 19, 2019

Nigerian Democracy and Democratic Consolidation

In order to address the issue of whether or not Nigeria functions as a democracy, it is first

necessary to define what the term “democracy” actually means. A democracy can be defined as

“a system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm

by citizens, acting indirectly through the competition... of their elected representatives”

(Schmitter and Karl 76). This is to say that there exists a system of norms and laws headed by a

leader that is able to enforce statehood and is held accountable through the actions and decisions

of the citizens. Democracy is not solely characterized by electoral processes, but also by the

ability of the citizens to hold their representatives accountable. It is using this definition that I

assert that Nigeria is, in fact, a democracy. While there exists a significant problem with

democratic consolidation, and the government does fail to adequately resolve economic issues

and ethnic disparities, there is a democratic system in place. The Nigerian governmental system

is flawed in its execution, but it maintains the standards expected of a modern-day democracy.

Ethnic tensions in state make democratic consolidation difficult. The divide between the

three major ethnic groups (Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa) is evident in the results of the most recent

presidential elections (Soyemi). A map of the vote by individual state reveals that the Northern

region of Nigeria, which is largely dominated by Hausa, voted in favor of Muhammadu Buhari,

while the Southwest and Southeast regions of Nigeria, which are, respectfully, dominated by

Yoruba and Igbo, voted in favor of Atiku Abubakar (“Nigeria’s Presidential Election”). This

divide makes obvious the ethnic differences which exist in the electoral processes, and implies

that there is a failure, on the part of the state, to create a coherent and universal Nigerian identity.
The weakness of the state, exacerbated by poor economic practices and the current provision of

public goods, ensures that the division between major ethnic groups continues to exist, and

makes the development of a liberal democracy very difficult. Nigerian society will continue to

divide itself by ethnicity so long as the state remains weak.

Democratic consolidation in Nigeria is further complicated by poor economic

performance and growth as well as the government’s failure to adequately utilize public

spending. Recent studies document that 60% of the Nigerian population would classify the

economy as being in poor condition, while 62% of the population is dissatisfied with the

direction that the country is headed (Opalo 6). Nigeria’s weak fiscal pact in combination with its

dependence on oil production limits total economic output, and, as a result, public spending and

economic revenue are greatly limited. This poor governance of the economy creates a “short-

circuit” in the system of accountability that exists between the government’s performance and

electoral processes, further complicating the process of democratic consolidation. In order to

resolve the government’s failure to deliver on its promises, it is highly necessary that Nigeria

develop fiscal policy that focuses on boosting economic revenue while also increasing the rate of

government expenditures in public goods.

The Nigerian governmental system is flawed in its execution, but it is representative of a

democracy in its early stages of development. Its democratic consolidation is impeded by issues

such as a lack of a common national identity, ethnic fractionalization, limited economic growth,

and inadequate distribution of public goods and services. However, even with these issues, the

government in Nigeria serves as a beneficial template for other states in West Africa that seek to

establish stable, and efficient democracies. Electoral processes in Nigeria have become more

transparent and free over the past few decades, and resolving the current economic and social
issues in the country have potential to strengthen the state and establish a more modern

democracy.
 Works Cited

“Nigeria’s Presidential Election Results 2019.” BBC News, 26 Feb. 2019,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-f0b25208-4a1d-4068-a204-940cbe88d1d3.

Opalo, Ken. The Power of Demonstration: To Increase Resilience, Democracy Must Be Shown

to Work. Foreign Policy at Brookings, Feb. 2019. Accessed 19 Mar. 2019.

Schmitter, Philippe, and Terry Karl. “What Democracy Is… And Is Not.” Journal of Democracy,

vol. 2, no. 3, 1991, pp. 75-88, https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1991.0033. Accessed 19 Mar.

2019.

Soyemi, Eniola. “Nigeria’s Ethnic Conflicts are a Result of the Failures of a Weak State.” Quartz

Africa, 29 Aug. 2016, https://qz.com/africa/768819/nigerias-ethnic-conflicts-are-a-

result-of-the-failures-of-a-weak-state. Accessed 19 Mar. 2019.