VOLUME 6 ISSUE 3, 2021 371 Governance and development in Nigeria: An appraisal Ignatius Nnamdi Aguene Ph.D Department of Sociology/ Psychology Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu agueneignatiusnnamdi@gmail.com Abstract Development is gradual but complete reorganization and mobilization of the entire social system. The purpose of development is a rise in the level and quality of life of the population. Development is more than improvements in the people’s well-being: it also describes the capacity of the system to provide the circumstances for that continued well-being. Corruption is deeply rooted in the Nigerian society and it destroys any form of development endeavor. Embezzlement of public funds and other fraudulent practices and moreover the government is not citizen based. Ethnic group membership breeds ethnic consciousness or ethnicity which influence interaction between people and groups in Nigeria. The absence of good governance in Nigeria has been extremely damaging to the government's corrective intervention role, particularly in the maintenance of peace and security, as well as the promotion of economic growth and the creation of the wealth needed to confront poverty and improve human development. The research found out that inequality has not allowed Nigeria to embrace sustainable development. This work concludes that Nigeria’s being the Africa's largest economy and one of the sixth growing economies in the world is still unable to resolve the irony of poverty in spite of the abundant human and material resources. The research recommends that it is needful for the government at all levels to wake up with renewed strength and commitment to reduce or totally eradicating the plague of poverty in Nigeria. Nigerian government should ensure that governance is inclusive of women and youth, who have historically been marginalized, as well as cultivate transformative leadership at all levels of government. Keywords: equity, economy, governance, leadership, nation building Introduction Adina (1999) perceived development as gradual but complete reorganization and mobilization of the entire social system. While Aziz (1978) summarized development as: Being focused on meeting the human needs of the entire society through a strategy that would provide a rapid increase in the production of certain types of goods and services and the distribution of land and other productive assets as well as a change in the political power structure. It also involves cultural growth through education and community life, creativity and dignity through job satisfaction and greater sense of participation, freedom of mobility, association and expression. The purpose of development is a rise in the level and quality of life of the population. Economic growth has not necessarily given rise to quality of life for all populations of the mailto:agueneignatiusnnamdi@gmail.com Governance and development in Nigeria world. Sen (1999) noted that development must be judged by its impact on people not only by changes in their income but more generally in terms of their choices, capabilities and freedoms and we should be concerned about the distribution of these improvements, not just the simple average for a society. Development consists of more than improvements in the well-being of citizens. It is also about the capacity of economic political and social system to provide the circumstances for that well-being on a sustainable, long- term basis. Development is more than improvements in the people’s well-being: it also describes the capacity of the system to provide the circumstances for that continued well-being. Amartya Sen (1998) 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Economics argued Development as freedom in his 1999 book. a) Political freedom and transparently in relations between people. b) Freedom of opportunity including freedom to access credit and c) Economic protection from object poverty, including through income supplements and unemployment relief. Poverty is characterized by lack of at least one freedom. Based on these ethical considerations, Sen argues that development cannot be reduced to simply increasing basic incomes, non to raising average per capital incomes. Rather, it requires a package of developing mechanisms that progressive enable the ethnic of a growing rang of freedom. A capital idea of the book is that freedom is both the end and a means to development. According to the human development report (HDR) published by the united nations development programme (2014), the basic objective of poverty reduction programme is to create a suitable environment for youth empowerment, to have access to long, healthy and creative lives. Tomori (1979) noted that: Development implies the complete modernization of a society. It entails the conversation of a peasant society into an industrial and it means a change in the whole way of life, in expectations and motivations and even the physical environment of daily life itself. Development has many dimensions Seers (1969) noted that three questions are asked about a country’s development (a) What has been happening to poverty? (b) What has been happening to unemployment? (c) What has been happening to inequality? Permit me to add the 4th one (d) What has been happening to security of life and property? 373 The aims and objectives of development Development generally and ultimately aims at the qualitative and quantitative improvement of the level of living of man in his earthly existence. The objectives of development can thus be presented: according to (Nnamani, 2007) i) To increase the basic life-sustaining goods and services. These includes food, shelter, security and medical services. ii) To widen the distribution of the basic life-sustaining goods and services. This can be achieved by increased income distribution, rational economic policies and depoliticized economic planning. iii) To improve living condition of man can be improved by creating more jobs. Achieving low population growth rate and mounting relevant educational programmes iv) To provide higher incomes: higher incomes are derivable from increased investment, cultivation of savings culture, provision of more jobs, and acquisition of functional education. v) To remove superstition: this can be achieved through formal and non-formal education exposes man to the idea, knowledge and ideals of people of other lands. Application of science and technology in influencing and controlling natural phenomena is possible only through education. Education, and indoctrination, is therefore an indispensable tool in the removal of superstitions beliefs and tendencies. vi) To modify norms and values. Development not only modifies norms and values, it removes completely obnoxious traditions and repugnant cultural practices. Development accelerates the rate at which norms and rules transform, modify and transmute, this is because as man progresses, politically, and educational –his belief system and thought processes too. vii) To expand man’s economic choice. Man’s economic, as well as social choice, is expanded by such development factors as: equitable distribution of basic life sustaining goods; higher incomes; and higher/ relevant education. One who is educationally deficient, for example, lacks the knowledge and requisite skills to exploit an opportunity which holds way in the society. Furthermore, low income greatly limits the effectiveness of demand for variety of goods and services. Indicators of Development Although community development is a product of many elements, including changes in thinking, cultural beliefs, traditions, etc. the following indicators can generally be used to show the levels of development and welfare in a community. According to Asha (2013): Governance and development in Nigeria 1. Increases in social services such as good housing, health, education, nutrition, clean environment and sufficient clean and safe drinking water, etc. 2. Increase in income that enables families in a community to meet their needs. 3. Decrease in infant and maternal mortality. 4. Demand for modern technology. 5. Sustainable use of environment. 6. Eradication and / or reduction in poverty. Aristotle defined democracy as rule by the people (Greek democratia demos, people plus cratia, - cracy). The reaffirmation of this view modern times accounted for Abraham Lincoln's declaration in 1863 that it was "a government of the people by the people and for the people. This idea that in some way, the people govern themselves, is still the core spirit behind democracy. As a matter of fact, it is believed that the people govern themselves by organizing regular elections through which the peoples highest leaders are periodically determined or policies governing them are chosen; the acceptance of the so-called democratic rights to have one's vote counted equally, the right to run for political offices through open competition on the basis of a multi - party system; the existence of newspapers and other communication media which are free to criticize government policies and leaders; there should be public debate of issues and voting by democratically elected representatives: promotion of religious tolerance and freedom and the right to hold and express unpopular ideas: protection of minority rights; economic empowerment of the people and the existence of the rule of law embodied in a fundamental document which structures the government, elaborate the reciprocal rights and duties of government and the people, and which all government officials and their policies must obey and be subjected to -Constitution. Democracies are sustained by citizens who have the required knowledge, skills and dispositions. Absent a reasoned commitment on the part of its citizens to the fundamental values and principles of democracy, a free and open society cannot succeed (Branson 1998). 375 Statement of the Problem Empowering people through qualitative and functional which is a to development is lacking the entire environments of most countries of African are seriously abused, and this leads to loss or able land, wild life, water supplies and climate charges. An industrial strategy is imperative for a sustainable growth is lacking. The political progress must involve popular participation of the polity. The various organs and structures of government are not separated therefore political sustainability is lacking, Nigeria lacks the capacity to protect its territorial sovereignty. There is insecurity here and there across the nation. The electorate hardly approve those in authority. Corruption is deeply rooted in the Nigerian society and it destroys any form of development endeavor. Embezzlement of public funds and other fraudulent practices and moreover the government is not citizen based. First, let’s look at a few critical metrics which all point in the negative direction, Nigeria ranks 144 out of 180 countries according to Transparency international, TI, 2018 Corruption perception index, CPI. In the same year, Nigeria came 88th out of 133 countries in the world Justice project, WJP, Rule of law index and achieved the damning status of becoming the “poverty Capital of the world”. According to the world poverty clock, created by Vienna based world Data Lab, 91.16 million of the country’s 198 million people were living below a dollar a day (extreme poverty) as at February 13, 2019. (Ochereome, 2018) According to Olagunju (2019) the understanding of the causes of poverty in Nigeria can be seen as multi-dimensional and multifaceted. There is a preponderance of studies geared towards addressing the issue of poverty in Nigeria. For instance, Olowa (2012) pinpointed the causes of poverty and youth capacity wastage in Nigeria to include the inadequate access to employment opportunities for the poor particularly the youths and lack or inadequate access to assets such as land and capital by the poor. This s often attributed to the absence of favorable land policies as well as minimal programnes for small-scale credit (Bakare, 2011) There is the problem of inadequate access to swift assistance for those who are the victims of transitory disasters such as drought. floods, pests and war (Cohen 2005) This is brought about by lack of well-conceived policy strategies and resources management mechanisms. However, the poverty in Nigeria can also been linked to the issue of inadequate involvement of the poor (youth) in the design of development programmes. This is often exacerbated by the non- involvement of the representatives of the poor communities or beneficiaries in the design, Governance and development in Nigeria formulation and implementation of programmes that will affect then substantially (Brody, (1994). Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Nigeria on August 12, 2009 again, to referred to President Obama's speech, what Africa needs is not more strong men, it needs more strong democratic institutions that will stand the test of time. Without good governance, no amount of oil or no amount of aid, no amount of effort guarantees Nigeria's success. But with good governance, nothing can stop Nigeria. The United States supports the seven-point agenda for reform that was outlined by President Yar’Adua. He opined that that delivering on roads and on electricity and on education and all the other points of that agenda will demonstrate the kind of concrete progress that the people of Nigeria are waiting for but Africa has a long way to go. Too many countries have not yet achieved the type of reforms that can prevent dictatorship, corruption, and economic decline. Due to continued sectarian violence, weak and ineffective leadership. and lack of political will, countries like the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan remain saddled by poor-functioning governance structures. The absence of good governance in many African countries has been extremely damaging to the government's corrective intervention role, particularly in the maintenance of peace and security, as well as the promotion of economic growth and the creation of the wealth needed to confront poverty and improve human development. According to the Nigerian Burcau of Statistics (2015), over 60% of Nigerians are Iiving on less than US$ 1 per day. Specifically, about 69% of the populations are classified as poor with over 6 still living in absolute poverty. It is regrettable that Nigerians can be badly poor in the midst of abundance resources. Indeed, this contradicts rational thinking and it is indicative of the fact that the pattern of growth in Nigeria is non-inclusive. The country could have been celebrating overtime what is known as growth without development (Todaro and Smith, 2009) Poverty can also be traced to geographical location. In Nigeria there is disparity in the pace and pattern of development between the sis goo-political zones for instance, the Northern regions have a lower level of development than southern region This can be partly explained by the fact that the North's economy is predominantly agricultural the low returns from rural enterprises condemn the region to poverty (Ogwumike, 2002) Low productivity from agricultural sector tends to contribute to the poverty level in this area. 377 Research Questions: The research questions were adopted from seers (1969) with the last one added by the author. a. What has been happening to poverty? b. What has been happening to unemployment? c. What has been happening to inequality? d. What has been happening to security of life and property? Objectives of the study The general objective is to find out how far the various past and present governments brought democratic dividends to the Nigeria citizens. a. To examine what has been happening to poverty b. To examine the current unemployment rate c. To examine inequality in Nigerian society d. To examine how the security of life and property of Nigerians are being protected at different levels of governance. Good Governance and National Development in Africa “Good governance implies: democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law. Former secretary of United Nations Kofi Anan noted that good governance is perhaps the single most factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development”. Agenda 2063 by the African Union in 2013 with membership of 55 nations and headquarters in Addia Ababa Ethiopia. The aim was to make Africa a global player by transforming nations of the content into democratic, peaceful, and innovation power houses that will be global player on the next 50years. The seven aspirations are as follows: (1) A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. (2) An integral continent politically united and based on the ideals of Pan- Africanism and the vision of Africa renaissance. (3) An Africa of good governance, democracy respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law. (4) A peaceful and secure Africa. (5) Africa with a strong cultural identity common hostage, values and ethics. (6) An Africa whose development is people oriented relying on the potential offered by the African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children. (7) An Africa as strong, waited, resident and influential global player and partner African Union realized that New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) did not achieve much of its expectation even with its peer review mechanism Africa Governance and development in Nigeria practiced foreign development strategies which were non inclusive. According to the United Nations, Good Governance is measured by the eight factors of Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus Oriented, Equity and inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency and Accountability. Participation requires that all groups. particularly those most vulnerable. have direct of representative access to the systems of government This manifests as a strong Civil Society and citizens with the freedom of association and expression. Rule of Law is exemplified by impartial legal systems that protect the human rights and civil liberties of all citizens, particularly minorities This is indicated by an independent Judicial branch and a police force free from corruption Transparency means that citizens understand and have access to the means and manner in which decisions are made. especially if they are directly affected by such decisions. This information must be provided in an understandable and accessible format, typically translated through the media. Responsiveness simply involves that institutions respond to their stakeholders within a reasonable time frame. Consensus Oriented is demonstrated by an agenda that seeks to mediate between the many different needs. perspectives, and expectations of a diverse citizenry. Decisions needs to be made in a manner that reflects a deep understanding of the historical, cultural and social context of the community. Equity and Inclusiveness depends on ensuring that all the members of a community feel included and empowered to improve or maintain their well-being. especially those individuals and groups that are the most vulnerable. Effectiveness and Efficiency is developed through the sustainable use of resources to meet the needs of a society. Sustainability refers to both ensuring social investments carry through and natural resources are maintained for future generations. Accountability refers to institutions being ultimately accountable to the people and one another. This includes government agencies, civil society, and the private sector al being accountable to one another as well. According to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan "Good governance is ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law strengthening democracy promoting transparency and capacity in public administration. 379 Political parties also play a key role in well-functioning democracies, elsewhere political parties are disconnected from voters and dominated by elites, with few incentives or capabilities to increase the representation of other voters Political parties can play a key role in pivotal moments of a state's development, cither negatively (eg. organizing and instigating violence) or positively (eg by leading dialogue in a fractured society). Fighting poverty and improving human development in Africa must begin with the creation of wealth, a process that requires the existence of a robust entrepreneurial class. In order to achieve these goals, there must be peace and security especial the peaceful coexistence of the various ethno cultural groups that inhabit each African country. Unfortunately, weak and dysfunctional governance structures continue to prevent many African countries from creating and sustaining the necessary enabling environment for peaceful coexistence, entrepreneurship and wealth creation. In fact, in countries such as Cameroon, the DRC, and South Sudan, the absence of governance structures undergirded by the rule of law has failed to halt ethnic- induced violence. That violence stunts entrepreneurship and economic growth in these countries. Peace and security, which are a sine qua non for entrepreneurial activities and the creation of wealth, are unlikely to return to these countries without the provision of participatory and inclusive governance structures. Weak governance manifests itself in other ways as well: Too often dysfunctional governance processes persist, creating environments where civil servants and political elites act with impunity, embezzling scarce public resources that could be used for education, healthcare, infrastructure, water treatment plants, electricity, farm-to-market roads, or technology Elites are usually not incentivized to implement pro-poor economy programs that enhance the ability of the poor to participate productively and gainfully in economic growth such as public investments in primary and secondary education, clean water, basic health care, and child nutrition. It is unlikely that the continent will be able to successfully and implement and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030 or Agenda 2063 unless institutions are reformed to enforce good governance undergirded the rule of law. The policies outlined will help the region accelerate good. Governance and development in Nigeria Characteristics of Good and Quality Leadership There are many types of political leaders some are master or rulers while others are servant – leaders who rule by example and have the interest of those they are ruling at heart. According to Agbo, (2013) the following qualities are to be possessed by a good leader. i) He / she must be a person of good reputation, transparent honesty and shall command influence and acceptability within the group or community. ii) The person must be self-disciplined and principled. iii) He must be prepared to deny himself certain things for the sake of the group under his care. iv) He must have regard for all members of his group and accord every member his or her desired respect and honour at all times. v) He must be of sound mind, polite and shall not often be in financial embarrassment. vi) He must be very patriotic and actively involved in developmental activities of the group or community as the case may be. vii) He must be reasonable, responsible and ever ready to accommodate or accept reasonable opinion of others (when the need arises). viii) He or she must not be self-centered; and must try as much as possible to carry other members along at all times. ix) He must always be considerate, not being rude or naughty and must not be a drunkard. x) He must not be a criminal or a notorious trouble maker. Good Governance and Development Gender Discrimination Promoting gender equality is now globally accepted as a development strategy for reducing poverty levels among women and men, improving health and living standards and enhancing efficiency of public investments. The attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself and human rights issue, but as a prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable development according to national gender policy (2006). We all know that in Nigeria, traditions, customs sexual stereotyping of social roles and cultural prejudice continue to militate against enjoyment of rights and full participation of woman on an equal basis with men in national development. The Core strategies for achieving the objectives of the National Gender Policy include Policy, partnership and programme reforms through mainstreaming of gender concerns at all levels; Gender education and capacity building to enhance necessary technical expertise and positive gender culture; Legislative reforms to guarantee gender justice and respect for human rights and Economic reforms for enhanced productivity and sustainable 381 development, especially that which addresses the needs of women and children, and o their vulnerable groups. Nation building Nation-building implies the making of people who view themselves as belonging to different nationalities think of themselves as and feel that they are one. This would mean the transfer of allegiance by these constituent nationalities from the local nationalities to the larges geo- political entity. This is the movement from the stage of amalgamation to that of integration from reluctant compliance to wholehearted support and unsupervised compliance, the stage where the citizens feel that this is my country. I am a Nigerian" The feeling of oneness among Nigerians is illusive. Nigerian nation-building would therefore mean finding permanent solution to the problems of revenue allocation population census, nature and practice of Nigerian federalism, religious intolerance, ethnicity, minority question, indigene ship the North/South dichotomy and neo-colonial pressures through the activities of international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and intervention by powerful foreign nations in order to assuage national feeling and prevent disunity. Ethnic consciousness is still corroding the political fabric of the nation. There are still complaints of domination, marginalization and monopoly of political power by some groups against the others. C. Gahia laments: Development Strategies The ideology and practice of development in Nigeria have undergone several modifications. For instance, immediately after independence, education was recognized as the type of development which the authorities wanted to take place in the rural areas. The sole aim was to correct the defects of both missionary and traditional education to make the individual self- reliant. Even though adult education was omitted as a planning error, the government tried to improve agricultural production by giving aids to rural farmers mostly in the eastern parts of the country. However, the government encouraged people to imbibe the spirit of community development. There were many self-help projects practice became very useful in many parts of the country (Olisa and Obiukwu 1992). There are other mobilization programs in Nigeria which include the following Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), by former head of state Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Green Revolution by former President Shehu Shagari, Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) was set up to correct the general gross inadequacy of rural infrastructure in Nigeria and also to Governance and development in Nigeria balance regional disparities in the distribution of rural infrastructure. Fadama Development projects, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) etc. According to Olanguji (2019): The National Poverty Eradication Programme: This focuses on the provision of strategies for the eradication of absolute poverty in Nigeria Introduced in early 2001, National Poverty Eradication Programme was complemented by the National Poverty Eradication Council which coordinates the poverty-reduction related programmes of all the relevant ministries, parastatal and agencies (Olowa, 2012). Youth Empowerment Scheme: This focuses on capacity acquisition, mandatory attachment, productivity improvement, credit delivery, technology development and enterprise promotion which are pivotal for developing the youth for productivity and entrepreneurship. Rural Infrastructure Development Scheme: This deals with the provision of portable and irrigation water, transport (rural and urban), rural energy and power support (0badan, 2002) This is to encourage the youths into medium and large-scale agricultural practice to boost food production in the political system. According to Ledford and Luca (2013), thus improvement in food production will be very n functional n totally alleviating poverty and dissipation of human capital resources. Social Welfare Service Scheme: This focuses on special education primary healthcare services, establishment and maintenance of recreational centres, public awareness facilities, youth and hostel development (Darwell, 2002), environment protection facilities, food security provisions, macro credit delivery, rural telecommunications facilities provision of mass transit, maintenance culture. Natural Resources Development and Conservation Scheme: This focuses on the harnessing of the agricultural, water, social mineral resources, conservation of land and space (beaches, reclaimed land, etc. particularly for the convenient and effective utilization by small scale operators. Basic Needs Approach: This focuses on the provision of basic needs such as food, shelter, water sanitation, health care, basic education, transportation, which will upgrade the living standards among not only the poor class but also the youths (Ogwumike, 2002). This is to make lite conducive for the citizens most importantly the youths. 383 Rural Development Approach: This focuses on an integrated approach lo rural development which aims at the provision of basic necessities of life such as food (Oladeji, and Abiola, 1998) This also includes shelter, safe drinking water, education, health care, youth employment and income generating opportunities to the rural dwellers in general and the youths in particular. Target Approach: This favours the directing of poverty alleviation programmes to specific groups within the country (Oladeji and Abiola, 1998) This approach includes such programmes as social safety Nets, Micro Credits and School Meal Programme. Local Government Councils as the Third Tier of Governance Local government is pivotal to the achievement of the rural development Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The chairman of the local government should be provided with the mandate and responsibility for pursuing and coordinating development projects within his local government jurisdiction, Nigeria has 774 local government areas in although some state governments has created development Centre within their states but not recognized by the federal government in revenue Allocation According to African Sustainable Development Goals index ranking 2020 Nigeria scored 47.07% with 43 position out of 52 countries. The major reason given for the poor result was that local government chairmen who would have coordinated community development projects were sidelined and SDGs lost sustainable Development impact resulting in the failure. Many state governments do not want the chairmen of local government areas in their state to work but act as their stooge; instead of allowing them to work according to their constitutional provisions. Objectives of the 1976 local government reform The primary objectives of the 1976 local government reform can be summarized as follows: 1. To ensure that money allocated to local Government Areas are not interfered with by state Government. 2. To ensure full participation of rural dwellers in the affairs and governance of their local government. 3. To encourage local initiative and leadership potentials. 4. To create facilities that shall promote security and harmony at local levels by deploying police and other security operatives at all local government areas. 5. To serve as a guide in deconcentrating of federal and state government provision of amenities such as electricity power supply and other public utilities. Governance and development in Nigeria Problems encountered by local government councils Despite, the numerous advantages of local government councils as the third tier of governors in Nigeria. There are still problems in implementing their work throughout the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. The problems include: i. Lack of available sources of income generation. ii. Occasional interference from higher levels of governments. iii. Non-compliance to the constitutional provision of revenue collection due to the Tact that more often than not, the local government councils cannot effectively enforce these byelaws because of poor facilities Such as vehicles and poor road network. iv. Misappropriation of public funds: This practice is very predominant in almost every local government council throughout the federation. This is mainly because the jubilation and excitement that go with election victory as council Chairmen for bear the unrestricted opportunities for them to amass wealth. v. Engagement of Untrained Personnel: It is an outstanding fact that most local government councils do not engage the services of qualified accountants to regulate the accounting spending in order to shape the financial records for smooth and ethical accounting presentations. Thus, council Chairmen in attempt to satisfy party loyalties do not appoint the rightful, qualified and experienced persons to the office of the Secretary to the council and other relevant positions such as the supervisors. vi. Quality of Council Chairmen: It is very significant to note that the more educated a person is, the clearer his thought processes, and the easier for him to articulate on views to improve and enhance his environments. So it is very obvious that the consequence of electing or appointing a poorly educated person to head local government councils or development centers manifests more in embezzlement than the good purpose which the local government council is meant to serve. Functions of community development union (Town union) The community development union which is commonly referred to as the town union has numerous functions, activities or roles to play in the development of the community. Some of these functions According to Agbo, 2013. include: i. To act as the administrative organ of the community collaboration with the members of the Traditional Rulers Cabinet. ii. The town union executive members should liaise with the "Igwe in council and the traditional ruler of the community (i.e Igwe himself) to attract 385 Governments attention; in order to solve the infrastructural problems of the community. iii. It is equally part of her roles to establish a strong machinery for the unification of every other organizations and age grades within the community and to bring them under one central and supreme authority for the benefit of the community. iv. To promote love, peace and progress within the also to initiate and encourage development projects. v. To work for the economic, social, cultural and political development and advancement of the community. vi. To promote harmony within the entire community and also 1o resolve any protracted conflict(s) within the community and other neighboring communities (if any) in order to move the community forward. vii. To maintain equity and justice at all times for the progress and development of the community. viii. To take precaution measures to stop any action which is capable of causing breach of public peace irrespective of political or religious affiliation-either by a person or group of persons. ix. To avoid any action which is capable of disintegrating the cooperate unity and harmonious co-existence of the community as an entity. x. To note that no meaningful development could take place in any community where crisis conflicts and hatred are the orders of the day. According to Imhabekhai (2010) participation of the citizen facilitates growth and development in any community. i. It has obvious advantage to the individual and the community. se include: it gives the individual a chance to participate in the socio-political process development of his/her community, thereby improving process and capacity of choice ii. It arouses the consciousness of representative members in dealing with their common problem and satisfying their individual needs. iii. It meets man's need for relatedness, for creativity, sense of belonging and for a frame of orientation toward a fulfilling future. iv. Citizen participation as a process provides an opportunity for the participants to learn from each other, unlearn bad habits and learn new ways of defending their human rights and improving them lots and the living conditions in their society. v. It allows for activity and involvement which encourage participants to widen their interests, acquire new skills of thinking, develop initiative and industry as well as discover inter-relationship that challenges attitude of community leaders. vi. It gives training to democratic leadership and selection process. Governance and development in Nigeria vii. it promotes and strengthens community control, bringing about positive changes the citizens and the communities in which the participants live. viii. It promotes individual and collective responsibility in the community and is used to establish greater collaborative problem-solving mechanism among community leaders who conflicting interest, diverse needs and rapidly changing and emerging programmes (Justice Development and Peace Commission, ljebu-Ode, 1995) The needed funds for community development project(o) can be sourced or obtained through diverse ways. The following sources are some of the ways that may be explored or utilized in raising funds for community development projects: a. Payment of levies by community members and groups b. Donations c. Project launching d. Conferment of chieftaincy titles e. Sale of community resources f. Grants from government g. Grants from local and international donor agencies h. Payment of royalties i. Sons and daughters abroad (Town Unions) j. Loans k. Payments by property developers l. Returns on community investments (Adepoju, 1976) Factors Affecting Good Governance and Development in Nigeria In an attempt to understand and appraise good governance and development in Nigeria, the following were found to affect it. Poverty: In Nigeria, there is high unemployment rate, stern poverty, persistent manpower wastage as well as massive system or institutional decadence. The standard of living of generality of the Nigerian Citizens is miserably below the global poverty line. However, access to the basic human needs like food, shelter, education, health and portable water has remained extremely challenging for the average Nigerians (Olanguju, 2019). Corruption: corruption has eaten deeply into the government at all levels (Ogwumike, 2002). Corrupt government officials misappropriate and redirect public funds meant for developmental purposes to personal use and aggrandizement thus leaving the masses to wallow in poverty for lack of basic necessities. 387 Unemployment: Widespread poverty persists in Nigeria because of chronic joblessness Employment in Nigeria is usually based on how connected you are with people in power and not on merit (Alako, 2003) According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS. 2015). the unemployment rate in Nigeria increased from 5.3% in 2006 to 21.10 in 2010 and further increased to an all-time high of 23, in 2011. According to Olagungu 2019, the problems of inadequate access to swift assistance for those who are the victims of transitory disaster such as drought, floods, pests and war (Cohen 2005). This is brought about by lack of well conceived policy strategies and resources management mechanisms. However, the poverty in Nigeria can also be link to the issue of inadequate involvement of the poor and the youth in the design of development programs. This is often exacerbated by the non involvement of the representatives or poor communities or beneficiaries in the design, formulation and implementation of programs that will affect them substantially Income Inequality: Disparity in income distribution in Nigeria also co widespread poverty Between 2004 and 2010, the Gini coefficient (a measure of income inequality) for Nigeria increased from 0.4296 to 0.447 (NBS, 2010), thus indicating national percentage change of 4.19% (Bakare, 2011). In the period starting from the 2003 democratic rule, only 13.4%% of the cabinet members are women and there are no female governors, only 1.6%s of women are councilors, 1.2% are local government chairpersons,2.8% are Senators and 3.36 are female representatives at the House of Representatives. In addition, only 9 out of 774 local government chairpersons are women and there are 143 female councilors out of 8,810, at the National Assembly, 3 out of I09 Senators are women and there are only 12 members of the House of Representatives out of 360 members. In the National Political Reform Conference set up by the Obasanjo Government in 2o05, there were 4 female Ambassadors out of 57 and 31 female delegates out of 420 delegates. At the State and the Local levels, the scenario is the same. Terrorism and Insurgency: ln recent times, acts of terror and insurgency mainly because of religious or political intolerance have intensified the incidence of poverty in Nigeria (Ajakaigye, and Adeyeye, 2002). Terrorist and insurgent activities over the years have left thee vulnerable regions (Niger Delta and North) very impoverished. Summary and Conclusion Fist, countries in or recovering from crises must engage in process-die constitution-making to produce an agreed-upon governing process characterized by the separation of powers, with effective checks and balances, including a robust and politically active civil society, an Governance and development in Nigeria independent judiciary: and a viable, free, and independent press. This work concludes that Nigeria being the Africa's largest economy and one of the sixth Owng economies in the world is still unable resolve the irony of poverty in spite of the abundant an and material resources (Oladeji and Abiola, 1998). it is therefore needful for the government all stakeholders to wake up with renewed strength and commitment to reduce or totally eradicating the plague of poverty in Nigeria. Recommendation Consequently, this paper recommends that government at all levels must endeavour to promote inclusive development policy that can generate productive employment opportunities for the youths’, redistributes income, enhances equity and involves the active participation of these youths in order to drastically reduce the incidence of poverty in Nigeria. Based on the foregoing, it can be recommended that rapid productivity and manpower development programmes are crucial for poverty reduction; this will have long-lasting multiplier effects and existential benefits for the development and empowerment of the Nigerian youth. Third, all African countries, with the aid of civil society, should develop and implement education programs to help citizens understand and appreciate the constitution and its provisions, and recognize the law as a tool that they can use to organize their private lives and resolve their conflicts, including those arising from trade and other forms of exchange. Programs for empowering youth and women could be particularly fruitful. Countries should also ensure that governance is inclusive of women and youth, who have historically been marginalized, as well as cultivate transformative leadership at all levels of government. References Agbo, S. N. (2013). Community Development, Town Union and Neighborhood Watch. (Administrative and Financial Management) in Enugu State Enugu. Asha, R. P. (2013). Community Organization and Development, An Indian Perspective. New Delhi PH learning private ltd. Olagunju, O. (2019). Poverty Alleviation Programs and Sustainable Youth Empowerment in Nigeria. Center for Economic Policy Research and Analysis, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Lagos. 389 Aguene, I. N. (2018). Gender Discrimination and Participation of Women in Rural Development in Enugu State. A dissertation submitted to the department of Sociology / Anthropology, University of Benin, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology) in Globalization and Development Studies. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2006). National Gender Policy Federal Ministry of women Affairs and social Development. Abuja: Aaza press Ad. Igbo, E.U., & Anugwom, E. E. (2001). Sociology: Basic Concepts and Issues. Nsuuka AP Express Publisher. Olisa, M., & Obiuka, S. (1992). Rural Development in Nigeria Dynamics and Strategies. Awka Mickslink Publisher. Adepoju, O. (1976). Directions for Social Research on Self-Help Projects and Programmes. Nigeria Community Development Journal, 11, (1) 62-69. Inhabekhai, C.I. (2010). Management of Community Development Programme and Project .Benin, Urban Press. Nigeria Bureau of Statistics 2015 Nnamani, L. (2007). Politics of Development and Underdevelopment Enugu John Jacob Classical Publisher Ltd. Justice Development and Peace Commission (1995). popular Participation in Development Training Manual Ijehu Oda JDPC Catholic Diocese of Ijehu Ode. United Nations Development Programs (2014) Agenda 2063 by Africa Unity in 2013 United Nations 2016 Good Governance. Page 4