AN APPRAISAL OF DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

behind. This paper explores an appraisal of development and democracy in Nigeria. Arguing
that the country's' development and democracy lags behind than. that of other states as a result
of factors ranging front neo-colonialist activities such as unfavorable terms of trade, activities
of multinational corporation and of course corruption among others. Nigeria has not score
high when placed in the same matrix with countries heading towards democracy of
empowerment. In attempting a discourse of this complex issue dependency approach
propounded by scholars such as Samir Amir, Dos Santos, Fernando Cardoso and Celso
Furltado among others has been adopted as a theoretical framework of the study which
focuses on the unequal relation that exist between the centre and the periphery in the global
context. The study is centered on the alternative paradigms for Nigeria development after
many decades of poor performance of Breton woods prescription of liberal and
Americanization style of development? This Paper further argues that the democracy and
Nigeria development suffers as a result of her rentier political economy where the state
officials and the agents of neo-colonialism such as MNC's conspire to extort oil revenue; and
it conclude on the note that democracy and development needs to be homegrown,
consolidated and centre on the material well-being of her citizenry.