…urges greater attention to youths, local governance
Government at all levels and the political class have been warned that Nigeria’s democracy is at a critical juncture, requiring urgent attention to address declining faith in the system, especially among youths.
The warning was statement was made by the former governor of Katsina state, Aminu Bello Masari, saying that the country’s democracy is at a critical juncture, requiring urgent attention to address declining faith in the system, especially among youths.
Giving the Keynote Speech at the Public Lecture in celebration of Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day anniversary, held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, Masari noted that while 70% of Nigerians prefer democracy, 77% are dissatisfied with its performance, citing a 2022 Afrobarometer survey.
Masari, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives before becoming Katsina State Governor, emphasized the need for continuous attention to shifting perceptions of democracy among Nigerians, warning that complacency could undermine the system’s endurance.
He stressed that democracy’s value lies in its ability to deliver tangible benefits to citizens, urging leaders to prioritize poverty reduction, inequality, human capacity development, and opportunity expansion.
The former governor highlighted the importance of engaging youths, who constitute a majority of Nigeria’s population, and creating an enabling environment for their growth and contribution to the country’s development.
He noted that most youths are dissatisfied with the current system and are seeking opportunities abroad, emphasizing the need to create incentives for them to stay and invest in Nigeria’s future.
“The first point is that we need to pay serious and continuous attention to the shifts in the perception of Nigerians about our democracy. It is easy to think that our democracy can continue to weather the storms because we have had 25 years of unbroken civil rule. That might be misleading.
“Democracy can continue to endure only when the people think it is desirable and thus worth keeping and defending. According to a 2022 survey by Afrobarometer, 70% of Nigerians polled prefer democracy to other forms of government. That is the good news. But 77% of those surveyed are not satisfied with the way democracy works in Nigeria, up from 57% in 2017.
“This should get us worried. We need to understand why our people are gradually losing faith in democracy, and we need to consciously strengthen their faith in democracy.
“The second point, which is related to the first, is that we need to put more effort in delivering the benefits of democracy to the vast majority of our people. Democracy as an idea is great. But people cannot eat it. Scholars such as Amartya Sen, the Economics Nobel Laureate, talk about the instrumental value of democracy, which is about how democracy should serve as an instrument for or a bridge to a better life for the people.
“Our people call it the Dividends of Democracy. People do not want democracy for its sake. They want democracy to translate to materials benefits for them. They want concrete dividends from democracy. We thus need to redouble our efforts to eliminate poverty, reduce inequality, deepen human capacities and expand opportunities in our society.
“My third point is that we need to pay special attention to the needs and mindsets of our youths. The youths constitute an overwhelming majority of our population today. It is projected that by 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world, with a preponderance of young people.
“Nigeria can become a global economic powerhouse if we harness the full potential of our youths. To realise this benefit, the so-called demographic dividend, we need to create the enabling environment for our youths, and by extension our country, to thrive.
“Most of our youths are not satisfied with the system today, and they are checking out of the country in large numbers, mostly because of lack of opportunities for them to actualise their dreams. Let’s create the opportunities for them to stay back at home and contribute their quota to the development of our country.
“On a related note, more than half of our population today are under the age of 25. This means that most of our citizens were born after 1999. This group includes a significant number of people of voting age today. I call them critical voters. It is important to pay close attention to this group of citizens.
“On one hand, they can be called the children of democracy. They should be natural defenders of democracy. But on the other hand, they have no memory of how bad the alternative to democracy could be, and they may not be keen about defending democracy. Our task as leaders and elders is to sustain the faith of our youth in our country and our democracy”, Masari said.
Masari also advocated for a redefinition of local governance, citing constitutional confusion surrounding the status of local government areas.
He proposed allowing states to determine their administrative units based on resources and needs, rather than imposing uniformity across the country.
In a passionate appeal, Masari urged politicians to prioritize citizens’ needs over personal interests and embrace democratic culture, acknowledging that democracy is slow and complex but remains the best form of government.
He also encouraged citizens to be patient with the democratic process, recognizing that nation-building takes time.
He prayed for democracy to continue growing in quality and benefiting the majority of Nigerians, emphasizing that democracy is a collective responsibility requiring effort and commitment from all stakeholders.
“The fourth point I want to make is the need to redefine our concept of local governance. We need to ensure that there is adequate and effective governance where it matters the most: at the local level, which is where most of our people live. One of the reasons why local government areas are not functioning effectively is because of the constitutional confusion about their status.
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“On one hand, the local government areas are supposed to be autonomous of the states and are all listed in the constitution. But the same constitution creates joint accounts for states and LGAs, puts the LGAs under the supervision of the states, and mandates the state parliaments to make laws for the LGAs.
“My considered opinion is that we should redefine the functions and structure of local Governments and remove the confusion enshrined in the constitution on their status. This doesn’t mean that we are going to abolish the local government areas.
“But we should allow each state to decide how many administrative units it wants to have based on its resources and needs. We should also allow local governance to be adapted to local realities, rather than aim for uniformity across the country.
“My last point is a passionate appeal to my fellow politicians and the populace. We all need to continue to do our parts in strengthening and deepening our democracy. Politicians need to be more sensitive to the needs and the feelings of the people. We need to continue to remember that democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people.
“It is not just the government of the politicians by the politicians and for the politicians. In representative democracy, elected politicians merely hold power in trust for the people. We therefore need to prioritise the needs of the populace ahead of our own needs. We also need to become better democrats. We need to fully imbibe the culture of democracy. We need good winners and good losers.
“On their part, our people also need to be more patient with the country. While 25 years of civil rule or 64 years of independence is a long time, it is just a speck in the life of a nation. Most of the countries that we are eager to compare Nigeria to today went through their challenging moments too. They were totally different from the countries that we know 200 years ago. Nation-building takes time.
“We also need to be more patient with democracy, which by its nature is slow and complex. Democracy is about process, which may make it difficult for issues to be addressed or resolved with immediate effect. It is not without challenges, but democracy is still the best form of government. We need to stay faithful to it.
“I want to conclude by praying for democracy to continues to grow in our land, not just in years but also in quality, and for the overall benefit of the mass of our people. Thank you for the opportunity”, he said.
