The Failure of Institutions and the Nigerian Nation. A Synopsis of a Nation on Life Support

Essay from the year 2021 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Globalization, Political Economics, grade: 2.5, , course: Nigerian Government and Politics, language: English, abstract: How did the Nigerian state get to this level of institutional failure that challenged the essence of governance which is the security of lives and property? How do we address the numerous problems bedeviling the Nigerian state? What can the Nigerian political elite sacrifice to sustain the Nigerian project? What is the level of poverty, illiteracy and socioeconomic deprivations in the society especially among the youths? Is it possible to address the negative dichotomy between the rich and poor in Nigeria? What are the lasting solutions to the numerous problems affecting the nation that may be generally acceptable to the North/South political divide in the country? These and many more questions are opened for interrogations in looking at the reasons for institutional failures in Nigeria. Both historical and contemporary events in the country have shown that Nigeria and Nigerians have been lackadaisical in building institutions that work.

I am Ebenezer Leo the Great Ph.D. I hail from Ula-upata town Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. I hold a Ph.D in Political Science from the University of Port-Harcourt in Rivers State, specialsing in Comparative/ Nigerian Government and Politics. Currently, I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal College of Education Technical Omoku Rivers state Nigeria. I teach Political Economy, Political Research Methods, Comparative Government and Politics, Constitutional Development in West Africa, Social Sciences, Issues in Peace and Conflict Resolution studies, Local Government Administration etc. to undergraduate students. I am into full time teaching, research and mentorship. I have published over ten journal articles in local journals (hard copies) and contributed chapter papers in books. I have written three books too. My Ph.D research was on "Political Accountability and Voter Turnout in Nigeria's Elections (1999-2015)". I am currently seeking funding to update the research from 2019 to 2023 elections in Nigeria. My two other ongoing research endeavours will also be published internationally. I fund all my researches, conferences and professional bodies' registrations personally. But I am determined as a young scholar to excel if given the opportunity to prove myself and help address socio-economic and political issues academically. Presently, I am a member of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA); Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). I have spent the past ten years in the university system in administration, teaching, research, project supervision, mentorship and general support services. I love education especially quality and sustainable education in the school system for societal socio-economic and political development. Presently, I am the Project Coordinator of the Global Coalition Against Examination Malpractice in Africa (GCAEMA) project aimed at revamping the reading culture, curbing examination malpractice and promoting quality education in the school system in Nigeria and Africa.