The 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence, political leadership and poverty in the midst of Plenty: problems, priorities, progress and prospects

Abstract

Since 1st October 1960 that Nigeria got independence from the United Kingdom, she has experimented with diverse political systems - parliamentary, unitary, military, presidential and diarchal styles to boost peoples’ welfare, still majority are poor. This paper examines Nigeria’s income and human poverty, while indicating her citizens’ priorities that political leaders failed to address. It accounts for the progress achieved and the prospects in fighting poverty in Nigeria. The country’s growing unemployment, underemployment, low remuneration, weak savings and investments, corruption, short access to basic services coupled with the 64.4% people, who survive on less than US$1.25 in 2000-2007 attest to her poverty in the midst of plenty. These pathologies accrued from bad governance, weak economic policies, plans, implementation and non-commitment of private organizations. The ongoing Nigeria’s democratic institutionalization sends hope to people. Nigeria needs collective participation of all development’s stakeholders to drag in good political leadership, as a developmental tool.