Beyond Democratization, Balanced Nationalism as Mechanism for National Development in Postcolonial Africa: The Nigerian Instance Since 1999

Abstract

Since 1999 when military rule yielded way to civilian administration in Nigeria, democratization would seem to have grown sustainably given that periodic elections have been held to usher in transition from one civilian government to another. This implies that for a quarter of a century, Nigeria has had democratic succession into national leadership and governance. However, pervasive atmosphere of insecurity, poverty and social tensions as antitheses of true development have been commonplace under each and all of the regimes. This grim reality triggers the compelling need to ask and find answer to the question; why has democratic rule not propelled Nigeria into the pathway of state and human security, sustainable development and social harmony? Therefore, this article argues that while steady and sustainable development anchored on democratic rule was Nigerian nationalists’ topmost shared desire as the country marched to independence in 1960, their failure to emplace and nurture a genuine balanced nationalism to grow a healthy postcolonial state-citizen synergy has been a cardinal causative factor for the obvious developmental challenges of Nigeria since independence. The main objectives of the study are: presenting a cursory but comprehensive account of plaintive and radical nationalism in Nigeria; and examining the multi-dimensional repelling impact of the prevalent skewed or imbalanced nationalism on sustainable national development in Nigeria by drawing some illustrations from the Nigerian democratization experience since 1999. Its central thesis is that, while democratic culture of governance is good and should be nurtured, a more balanced nationalism is an imperative mechanism for meeting the national aspiration as domiciled in cohesion, sustainable development and rewarding citizen-state synergy.