AN EXAMINATION OF LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR NATIONAL GROWTH

AN EXAMINATION OF LEADERSHIP AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR NATIONAL GROWTH

Background Of The Study

Citizens in the majority of the world's nations have the goal that their country will one day have strong leaders and effective administration. This is due to the fact that the goal of maximizing the use of limited resources to advance human and national development is directly tied to the caliber of leadership and the results produced by such leadership (Madison, 2022). It seems from the history of the growth of great countries that adaptable leaders played an important part in the transformation of their societies via effective administration. Therefore, governance of a country is a reflection of both the quality of life enjoyed by its population and the overall level of progress made by that nation.

In the United States of America (USA), for instance, Abraham Lincoln stands out because to the strong leadership he demonstrated throughout the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. (Norton, ).

This ultimately resulted in the maintenance of the Union, the vindication of democracy, and the abolition of slavery. These monumental accomplishments were accomplished as a result of dogged pursuit of a more ideal and equitable Union (Ibid, P.17). In the end, Abraham Lincoln left a legacy that continues to be honored in the United States as a positive example of democracy and long-lasting administration.

In a similar vein, Otto von Bismarck, one of the most influential political personalities in the history of Germany, is often regarded with being the driving force behind the unification of East and West Germany. His efforts were expedited by Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who in 1990 (Germany) achieved the establishment of a federal form of government inside an united Federal Republic of Germany. http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country-studies/germany/Government.html). This was seen as fundamental to maintaining a constitutional democracy in the country that was functioning well and providing effective government.

Mao Tse-Tung is credited for laying the groundwork in China for the country's rise from a peasant economy to a significant economic powerhouse on the global arena. As a forward-thinking leader, his principal objectives were to bring his country up to par with the rest of the world in the areas of business, athletics, science, technology, and defense. China's GDP has expanded at an annual pace of roughly 9 percent on average during the last two decades, making it the nation with the fastest expanding economy in the world (Mandela, 2022). These examples illustrate that a country may enjoy exceptional growth and success in its entire development if it is led by visionary leaders who exercise sound governance. In addition, the continent of Africa has given birth to leaders with exceptional vision who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of their respective nations. Because of his long history of fighting apartheid, Nelson Mandela of South Africa is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders in the history of black liberation. In the end, he was recognized as the first President of South Africa to be elected by democratic means in the year 1994. (MimikoO, 2021). His extraordinary leadership serves as a metaphor for the fight of oppressed people all across the globe. He was successful in guiding South Africa in the direction of ideas of sustainable development and good governance, which were exemplified by a seamless political transition.

Since the year 1960, when our nation first gained its freedom, concerns about effective leadership and government have been at the forefront of national discourse. The pursuit of national development in the Country has been delayed by corruption and the mishandling of public wealth (http://www.nationencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Nigeria.overviewofteheconomy.htm). The Country has enormous people and natural resources. It is often held that the majority of Nigeria's political leaders lack the necessary vision, passion, and character for political leadership (Mohammad , 2022). The final result of this is that despite Nigeria's enormous resource endowment, she has repeatedly rated poorly in different international evaluations on human development and good governance. This is due to the fact that she has poor governance.

According to the Human Development Index (UNDP-HDI) that was published by the United Nations Development Programme in its report for 2007/2008, Nigeria placed 158th out of 177 nations (New Partnership for Africa's Development, 2018, page 67). Additionally, in the 2009 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) (Obi, http://www.businessday.com), Nigeria was placed 11th out of 16 countries in West Africa. It is estimated that over 70 percent of Nigeria's 150 million people live below the international poverty line of having a daily income of less than one dollar in the United States (Murtala , 2022). These low economic and development indicators have been linked to Nigeria's lack of competent leadership and governance, which has led to an absence of good governance.

In this setting, the leadership question's relationship to good governance has sparked a succession of relevant conversations at a variety of academic and policy forums. As a result, the effort to answer the topic of leadership and its implications on good governance in Nigeria for national development is the driving force behind this study. In light of this, with the intention of putting up solutions that would improve the quality of leadership and governance across the nation.

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