Democracy and the Dialectics of Mass Poverty: The Nigerian Experience

It is generally agreed that democracy remains the best system of governance, and that it has the attributes of promoting human rights and engendering social development. This paper argues that this “conventional wisdom” about democracy can be challenged if the performance of the regime in Nigeria's Fourth Republic is critically assessed. This essay emphasizes the desirability of democracy, but it is posited that “democracy” as practised during this period has not brought about the much-desired development and progress. The point is made that the policies and programmes of the regime have led to increased poverty and misery among the Nigerian masses. It is also reasoned that the overall performance of any administration can be better assessed through the evaluation of the consequences or outcomes of the policies and programmes of such administration and not by relying on the assertions of the administration's spokespersons.. SOPHIA: An African Journal of Philosophy Vol. 8 (2) 2006: pp. 39-4