Civil Society and the Dynamics of Democratisation in Nigeria (1999-2007)

Abstract

The wave of democratisation that swept through the continent of Africa in the 1990s reintroduced the time–honoured debate of the relative significance of state and society in the process of political reforms. Democratisation builds upon the belief that civil society requires government that is committed to freedom of association, competitive elections, independent courts and media, and other civil and political rights. Therefore, a democratic state and a civil society are two sides of the same coin. While civil society organisations played active role in the pro-democracy struggles against military dictatorship, which finally climaxed with the institution of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, civil society’s active participation in democratic consolidation has been limited by some factors such as institutional weaknesses, poor funding, weak collaboration between the state and civil society, fragmentation along ethno-religious lines, among others. This paper argues that democratisation as a continuous project requires a balanced relationship between civil society and the state and the consolidation of Nigeria’s nascent democracy would require a strong civil society that is distinct, but working complementarily with the state.

Key words: Civil Society, Consolidation, Democratisation, Democracy, Struggles,
Nigeria