LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AND NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

Abstract

The major thrust of this paper is to critically examine the implications of leadership on Nigeria’s developmental initiatives. There is no doubt that leadership defect is the bane of Nigeria’s development from independence in 1960. Therefore, the paper
examined the missing link in Nigeria’s quest for credible and plausible leadership in her development strides over the years. Also, the paper considered the elite theory as the most appropriate theoretical framework for this study. This is due to the fact that most of the developmental initiatives carried out by successive governments in Nigeria since independence in 1960 was a calculated attempt to perpetuate the sectional interest of the political elite. Methodologically, the content analysis of documents, reports, articles, journals, and books was adopted since so many scholars have written a lot of works on the subject matter of this study. The study found that the level of development in Nigeria is far below expectation despite the laudable
initiatives by successive governments. This, it argued, is not unconnected with the fact that both past and present political leaders lacked the political will to improve the quality of life of average citizens. The crave for materialism, transient and ephemeral comfort of life in place of selfless and dedicated service to humanity has badly affected the efficacy of leadership in Nigeria. Therefore, the paper recommends the overhauling of the electoral processes in order to produce credible leadership
required for the crafting and effective implementation of developmental initiatives in Nigeria.