Democracy And Inequality In Nigeria

Democracy and Inequality in Nigeria

Nathaniel Umukoro

Department of Political Science Delta State University, Abraka

ABSTRACT

Increasing inequality in Nigeria has been of growing interest to scholars, international political observers, and the Nigerian public since the creation of the country in 1914 by the British colonial masters. The focus of this article is on the extent to which the practice of democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic has contributed to the reduction of inequality. The article begins with the dimensions of inequality in Nigeria. The study shows that democratic governance has not adequately bridged the inequality gap in country. The article further identifies reasons for the failure of democratic governance to address the

In general, land ownership is very low among women, a factor that limits their ability to exploit a land-based livelihood strategy. It affects their ability to access finance, for example, and often delays investment decisions or reduces the earning potential of agriculture (British Council, 2009).

It is important to note that even though Nigerian Land Use Act of 1978 nationalized all land and vested authority in the State Governor who holds it in trust on behalf of all, in practice; however, the way land is owned and accessed varies from place to place. It can be an amalgam of traditional

Islamic Sharia and other local governance practices (Mabogunje, 2010).

In rural areas, women’s rights of access are still regarded as secondary to those of men and many customs suggest that women’s access to land is still mediated via patrilineal systems (Aluko & Amidu, 2006), in spite of the intentions of the 1978 Land Use Act. For women, user rights often follow marriage, inheritance, or borrowing. Inability to have access

Similarly, the percentage of children aged 12–23 years who are fully vaccinated in the North–Central region (12 percent), while twice that in the North–East and more than twice that in the North–

West, is less than half the percentage noted for either the South–East or South–West. On the other hand, the North–Central region has a far greater percentage of women who are overweight (i.e., those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25) than the other northern regions (23 percent as compared to 14 percent in the North–East and

15 percent in the North–West). While not the health concern most typical of individuals in developing countries, a BMI of or exceeding 25 could indicate an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems (Measure DHS, 2004).

The living standard survey conducted by the NBS for the year 2010 shows that poverty has been on the increase while standard of living has continued to fall. In a report released last February, the agency found that absolute poverty in the country increased from 54.4 percent

Table 8.

Poverty Levels in Nigeria between 1980 and 2010 by Regions

Geopolitical Zone 1980 1985 1992 1996 2004