Renowned political economist, development practitioner, governance expert and current Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Dr. Omano Edigheji is set to launch his fourth academic book; Nigeria: Democracy without Development. How to fix it. The public presentation of the book will take place on Tuesday 8th December 2020, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Center, Abuja. This book is borne out of the author’s desire to proffer practical solutions on how the deficiencies of electoral politics in Nigeria can be overcome; and suggest how Nigeria can promote inclusive and sustainable development.
Published by A’Lime Media Limited, the book provides the reader with an incisive account of the factors that explain the development deficits – rising poverty, inequality, unemployment, and the general deteriorating conditions of Nigerians – of democracy in Nigeria. Based on the analysis, Dr. Edigheji proffers solutions on how to save democracy in the country.
About two decades ago, Nigeria became a democratic country with the military handing over the reins of command to an elected civilian leader. It’s apparent that not much has changed in development terms since that historic event. The #EndSars protests and its effects bear credence to the stunted development that has characterized the nation since democracy. Besides the dehumanizing treatment of youths by the now-defunct unit, the protests can be attributed to the pent-up anger over the maladministration, injustice, hunger, and corruption that have marked the democratic dispensation – all of which are the development deficits of democracy since 1999.
In this book, Dr. Omano Edigheji, who has made a name for himself publishing a vast amount of profound scholarly and policy-relevant works, has carefully analyzed the paradoxical relationship between democracy and development in Nigeria.
According to the author, “Every part of Nigeria is a victim of the poor management of the country by inept political leaders since independence. Secession is unlikely to bring development to any part of the country, and we do not look any farther than the quest for states and local governments – the creation of more states and local governments have not resulted in the desired development of the country. With the right leadership, Nigeria’s diversity can be its strength.”
The book questions the credibility and legitimacy of the kind of democracy being practised in Nigeria. It recalls the once-held aspiration that Nigeria would become one of the twenty leading economies by 2020 has become a pipe dream.
In the book, Dr. Edigheji proffers practical solutions on how to fix the Nigerian state, politics, and the public service to ensure that all citizens enjoy its development dividends and to transform the economy from dependency on oil, agriculture and low value-added services. The author argues that the sustainability and legitimacy of democracy in Nigeria will be dependent on its ability to ensure inclusive development, whereby every Nigerian, not just the elite, reap the benefits of democracy.
The book launch will be attended by a cross-section of political, traditional, religious and business leaders, as well as leading experts in academia and civil society organisations.
Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, is Chief Host and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State, will be the Chairman at the public presentation of this incisive and thought-provoking book.
To pre-order the book, visit www.thedwdbook.com, where you can also register to attend the public presentation. For further information, please follow the book’s official account; @thedwdbook on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Dr. Omano Edigheji is a scholar and development expert. Currently, he is Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State
He holds a PhD in Political Science, with a specialization in the political economy of development, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
He has over twenty years of experience in government, academia, not-for-profit development foundations, think-tanks and civil society. He has held a top position in the South African public service. Dr. Edigheji has served as a consultant to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), African Development Bank (AfDB), and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Dr Edigheji has convened and facilitated several multi-stakeholder forums on issues of human rights, public sector reform, industrial development, economic reform, and higher education transformation. He was the Director of the first-ever continental summit on African Higher Education that took place in Dakar, Senegal, in March 2015.
He has published extensively, including three books, ‘The Future and Relevance of Nigerian Universities and other Tertiary Institutions’ (co-editor, September 2016); ‘Constructing a Democratic Developmental State in South Africa: Potentials and Challenges (editor, HSRC Press, 2010); and Governance in the New South Africa: The Challenges of Globalization (co-editor, University of Cape Town Press, 2003).
Dr Edigheji has lectured at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, both in South Africa.
