LEADERSHIP, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The quality of leadership in power determines the form of governance in any political system. Africa is the world's second largest continent, rich in natural and human resources, yet it continues to face challenges related to leadership, governance, and development. The objective of this paper is to identify and establish the relationship between leadership, effective governance, and development in Nigeria. The aim of the paper is to examine how leadership and effective governance influence the degree of development or, conversely, underdevelopment. It employs the wither paradigm to elucidate the internal and external factors contributing to Nigeria's backwardation. This paper concludes that effective leadership and governance foster development, while their absence contributes to underdevelopment. Nigeria, the most populous country of the black race and often referred to as the "giant" of Africa, serves as the context for analysis after sixty-four years of independence. This paper examines the factors contributing to governance, development, and leadership crises in Nigeria. The data utilised for the paper was obtained through secondary data collection methods. The paper ultimately concluded that transformational leadership is essential for effective governance and development in Nigeria.