Despite progress
over the past four years, many roadblocks to strengthened democracy
in Nigeria still remain. Political elites are entrenched, excluding
most citizens, particularly women and the poor, from meaningful
political participation. The scale and prevalence of conflict, triggered
by communal, ethnic, religious or resource issues, poses a major
threat to stability in Nigeria. Endemic corruption is a key governance
issue that has directly touched the daily lives of the majority
of Nigerians. The structure of government and the concentration
of power at the center and in the executive have reduced incentives
for reform. Civil society has been freed of many of the constraints
it faced under military rule, but still lacks both the capacity
and the resources it needs to truly engage with government and advocate
for change. Government institutions, for their part, have by and
large not established partnerships with citizens or private sector
actors, and themselves lack capacity to carry out their own mandates.
To address these roadblocks, SO11 will build the
capacity of civil society and legislative bodies, support efforts
to respond to and manage conflict, and address the need for professionalism
and transparency in the next elections. Civil society is central
to making government more responsive and accountable through advocacy
and oversight. The National Assembly serves to balance power within
government and its directly-elected representatives of the people
are a lodestar for civil society engagement. Frequent conflict perpetuates
poverty, discourages investment, and compromises overall social
and economic development. Properly managed elections whose results
are accepted and agreed to by the people are the cornerstone of
democracy. Progress in the achievement of the SO will be measured
by increased levels of public confidence in democracy, and civil
society policy input. |
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