ABSTRACT
This
study was intended to examine leadership and good governance in Nigeria: issues
and prospect of national development. This study was guided by the following
objectives; to determine the relationship between
leadership and good governance in Nigeria, to determine the relationship
between leadership, good governance and National development in Nigeria, to
examine the consequences/effect of leadership and governance failure in Nigeria
on national development and to identify the component/causes of poor/bad
leadership and governance in Nigeria. The
study employed the descriptive and explanatory design; questionnaires in
addition to library research were applied in order to collect data. Primary and
secondary data sources were used and data was analyzed using the chi square
statistical tool at 5% level of significance which was presented in frequency
tables and percentage. The respondents under the study were 100 residents of
Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. The study findings revealed that there
is a significant relationship between leadership and good governance in Nigeria;
based on the findings from the study, The
leaders should be made accountable by publicly declaring what they have been
able to achieve in terms of performance as well as how much was expended in
every sector on a yearly basis and auditors with integrity should be made to
verify the claims in order to ascertain the genuineness of the claims.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page - - - - - - - - -
Approval Page - - - - - - - -
Declaration - - - - - - - - -
Dedication - - - - - - - - -
Acknowledgement - - - - - - -
Abstract - - - - - - - - -
Table of Contents - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER
ONE – INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study - - - - -
1.2 Statement of the Problem - - - -
1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - -
1.4 Research Questions - - - - - -
1.5 Research Hypotheses - - - - - -
1.6 Significance of the Study - - - - -
1.7 Scope of the Study - - - - - -
1.8 Limitations of the Study - - - - -
CHAPTER
TWO – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - -
2.2 Conceptual Framework - - - - -
2.3 Theoretical Framework - - - - -
2.4 Empirical Review - - - - - -
CHAPTER
THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction - - - - - - -
3.2 Research Design - - - - - - -
3.3 Target Population - - - - - -
3.4 Sampling Techniques - - - - - -
3.5 Sample Size - - - - - - -
3.6 Data Collection - - - - - - -
3.7 Instrument/Questionnaire - - - - - -
3.7 Data Analysis - - - - - - -
CHAPTER
FOUR – DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction - - - - - - -
4.2 Data Presentation and Analysis - - - -
4.3 Testing Hypothesis - - - - - -
CHAPTER
FIVE – SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary - - - - - - - -
5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - -
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - -
References - - - - - - - -
Appendix - - - - - - - -
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Nigeria
was colonized by the British in the 18th century, but later got its
independence in 1960. Prior to that time, Nigeria was noted for its richness in
agricultural produce through which she earned its foreign exchange and built
its reserve. In the 19th century, Nigeria was the world’s largest exporter of
cash crops such as cocoa, groundnuts, palm-oil and food crops like cassava,
yams, and sugarcane (Claude 1996). In the late 60s, petroleum was discovered in
Nigeria, coinciding with the military coups and rule. At this time, the
military regime hindered economic development in Nigeria by ushering in bribery
and corruption, mismanagement, looting of treasury, killing, maiming, and
nullification of elections (Shobola & Nicholas-Omoregbe 2012).
The
discourse on the delicate future of Nigeria is strictly connected to the
failure of governance and leadership. The human and infrastructural development
curve of Nigeria is on the downward drift, in spite of the increase in oil
revenue over the past three decades. Obviously, the actions of economic and
political managers who are highly dependent on oil lease have exposed the
Nigerian State to oil resource spell (Iyoha, Gberevbie, Iruonagbe &
Egharevba 2015; Nyeswusira & Nweke 2014). There is an agreement among
policy makers, development scholars, and institutions that the wealth of a
nation has strong relationships with its type of governance, leadership and
social policy framework (Kaufmann 2013; Bardhan 2005). Leadership is important
to demonstrating better-quality governance, which enhances societal
development, because it is a process of influencing the actions of a structured
group towards the setting and attainment of goals.
It
is a truism that the quality of leadership and overall governance in a country
directly affects the level of political stability and development that such
country enjoys. Bad governance and poor leadership only result in underdevelopment
and political instability (Ologbenla, 2007). It is on the recognition of the
imperative of leadership and governance to a country that Nnablife (2010) avers
that the survival of a system rests with leadership. All things rise and fall
on leadership because leadership effectiveness is a steering that drives a
nation or any organisation to heights of development and productivity by the
application of good governance (Folarin, 2010). The post-independence Nigeria
continues to grapple with the monster of bad leadership and governance which
have been the bane of political instability and poor state of development in
the country. With the diverse mineral and human resources, it is not
far-fetched to expect Nigeria to soar high in consonance with the economic
giants of the world. Paradoxically, Nigeria - the giant of Africa (as it is
called) wallows in socio-economic, political and infrastructural decadence in
all her crevices. The inability of Nigeria's leadership to harness the nation's
vast resources and reserves towards socio-economic development continuously
calls to question the composition of the fabric of the nation's leadership and
governance. There seems to be a total collapse of ethical governance with the
abuse of every moral norm of administration and a loss of conscience towards
'rightness' and objectivism in polity. To this end, it becomes a wonder if
Nigeria can ever rise out of decadence and her impoverished state if those that
are meant to drive the steering towards the nation's emancipation lack the
morality and sanity to do so.
The
issue of how a particular country, city or agency is governed or should be
governed, and the relationship between the state and civil society, or how to
establish an ideal balance between them in order to achieve a stable political
system has been of immense concern to scholars (see Azeez 2009: 213). Arisi and
Ukadike (2011: 413) expressed optimism that human beings are born into the
world with an opportunity make them live better in their various communities. Such
anticipated better condition of living for citizens has been largely achieved
in developed nations such as Britain, United States of America, Germany, Japan,
and China through the mechanism of good governance. These countries have in
place, well-run educational system, and good organization of industrial
sectors, affordable shelter for citizens, sound national security and political
stability. They also experience favourable interdependence between growth,
poverty reduction and sustainable development; as well as respect for the rule
of law, human rights, peace and security among others. In essence, good
governance has remained a crucial element of the socio-political system of
developed countries of world. However, on the contrary, a major challenge to quest
for Nigeria’s greatness is good governance.
Nigeria’s
search for the most cultivated and best informed minds, and men and women and
women of wisdom who will take the nation to the peak level of good governance
has remained elusive. Plato, the great Greek philosopher, had argued in his
time that as a just and healthy person is governed by knowledge and reason, a
society must be under the control of society‟s most cultivated and best
informed minds in order to achieve remarkable social, political and economic
development. The fact that Nigeria remains a laggard in social, economic and
political developments despite all social and economic policies implemented by
successive administrations suggests that such administrations had not optimally
delivered the dividends of good governance. Nigerians are worried as to why
their leaders seem to find it difficult to address perennial governance
problems despite abundant human and material resources. Many viewpoints have
been formulated to explain governance challenge of the country. These include
the emergence of colonial misadventure in Nigeria; corruption and lack of
vision among past and present leaders of Nigeria. All of these have hampered
any meaningful effort in the quest for good governance in the country with
systemic challenges and decays. There were also institutional problems rooted
on the type of governance Nigeria has had since independence. Nonetheless,
Nwagboso and Duke (2012) contended that Ghana and South Africa were colonized
like Nigeria but they seem to fare better in development than Nigeria.
Governance among other things, involves making and implementing crucial
decisions that could affect lives of individuals in a variety of ways. It has
several interrelated dimensions such as economic governance, administrative
governance, political governance, national governance, and systematic
governance. Leadership and governance have been recognized as imperative for
the attainment of the political, economic and social objective of any political
community. The significance of leadership to governance is seeing in the fact
that good leadership sets the tone and standard of governance. The concept of
governance and leadership are intertwined. Good governance and leadership is
critical for the achievement of results. It is often said that no country can
develop beyond the level of its leadership. The predicament of Nigeria in terms
of underdevelopment and corruption can be adduced to the problem of leadership
and governance. Nigeria needs committed leaders who will govern with integrity
and doggedly influence its human and natural resources toward the actualization
of sustainable national development.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Nigeria
is currently faced with myriad of problems prominent among which are poverty,
corruption, insecurity, unemployment, infrastructural decay, kidnapping,
ethno-religious crises and many more. These problems could be attributed to bad
governance and leadership. Nigerian governance challenge has been a threat and
clog in her wheel of progress towards achievement of economic growth and stable
polity. Against the above background, this study tends to investigate
leadership and good governance in Nigeria in relation to issues and prospect of
national development.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The study sought to analyze leadership and
good governance in Nigeria as it relates to the issues and prospect of national
development. Specifically, the study sought to;
1.
determine
the relationship between leadership and good governance in Nigeria.
2.
determine
the relationship between leadership, good governance and National development
in Nigeria.
3.
examine
the consequences/effect of leadership and governance failure in Nigeria on
national development.
4.
identify
the component/causes of poor/bad leadership and governance in Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
1.
What is
the relationship between leadership and good governance in Nigeria?
2.
What is
the relationship between leadership, good governance and National development
in Nigeria?
3.
What are
the consequences/effects of leadership and governance failure in Nigeria on
national development?
4.
What are
the components/causes of poor/bad leadership and governance in Nigeria?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
H01:
There is no relationship between
leadership and good governance in Nigeria.
H02:
There is no relationship between
leadership, good governance and National development in Nigeria.
H03:
Leadership and governance
failure in Nigeria has no consequences/effects on national development.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This
study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more
on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their
research work. This study will contribute to knowledge and could serve as a
guide for other study.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This
study is on leadership and good governance in Nigeria: issues and prospect of
national development. This study will be conducted in Abuja, FCT.
1.8 Limitations of study
The
demanding schedule of respondents made it very difficult getting the
respondents to participate in the survey. As a result, retrieving copies of
questionnaire in timely fashion was very challenging. Also, the researcher is a
student and therefore has limited time as well as resources in covering
extensive literature available in conducting this research. Information
provided by the researcher may not hold true for all research under this study but
is restricted to the selected respondents used as a study in this research
especially in the locality where this study is being conducted. Finally, the
researcher is restricted only to the evidence provided by the participants in
the research and therefore cannot determine the reliability and accuracy of the
information provided. Other limitations include;
Financial constraint:
Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing
for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of
data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint:
The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic
work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research
work.
