Why Nigeria still crawls at 66 – Rev. Hayab

The Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), Rev. Joseph John Hayab, has identified weak institutions, poor democratic participation, insecurity and persistent social divisions as major constraints to Nigeria’s development, saying the country’s enormous potential can only be realised when its institutions function effectively for the people.

In a statement issued on Friday, to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, Hayab said countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, which he described as Nigeria’s contemporaries, had made significant strides in development, while the “African giant” continued to grapple with the consequences of bad governance and what he described as poor followership.

According to the NCA chairman, Nigeria’s developmental challenges require a thorough institutional review if the country is to make meaningful progress.

He noted that beyond individual administrations, “the strength of any nation ultimately depends on the effectiveness of institutions responsible for security, education, economic opportunities, democratic accountability and the delivery of essential public services”.

He said Nigeria, at 66, should have achieved considerably more given its human and material resources, but noted that weak institutions, coupled with inadequate citizen participation in the processes that shape governance, had continued to constrain the country’s development.

Hayab said Nigeria could make significant progress within a few years if citizens and leaders began to treat the country as a common project rather than viewing national issues primarily through ethnic, religious and regional interests.

“When you really put Nigerians together, you will see the division that exists among us, is the reason, at 66 years, we are still crawling.

“But we can jump fast within a few years if we close ranks and start seeing ourselves as Nigerians, treating this country as our country, as our nation,” he said.

Hayab particularly linked weak democratic institutions to low citizens’ participation in elections, arguing that voter apathy creates room for politicians to manipulate the electoral process and weakens the capacity of citizens to hold elected officials accountable.

His concern is reflected in official election data, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recording 93,469,008 registered voters for the 2023 general election, while presidential-election turnout stood at 26.7 per cent.