Democratic Governance and Infrastructural Development in Enugu State, 1999-2019

Abstract

The relationship between democracy and development is one of the major theoretical arguments put forward for justification of the drive towards the universalization of the neo-liberal ethos under the aegis of globalization. According to the purveyors of neo-liberalism, democracy is not just the only moral and legitimate way by which a society can be ruled, it also provides the needed nexus between governance and development. Thus, democracy not only prescribes how political power should be acquired but also what to do with it or how it should be exercised to ensure the good lives of the citizens. Regardless of the debate over the actual meaning of development, it is generally accepted that the state of infrastructure in any nation is reflective of the state of development of such a nation. In this regard, the return to multiparty democracy in 1999 held a ray of hope for the tackling of the myriad of Nigeria’s developmental challenges, especially the infrastructural decay that characterized the long years of military rule. Sixteen years of democratic governance in Nigeria has left many observers wondering whether democracy is indeed the pathway to development given the appalling state to which infrastructure has degenerated in most Nigerian States. Even though several scholars have examined the relationship between democratic governance and infrastructural development in Nigeria, generally this study focuses specifically on democratic governance and infrastructural development in Enugu State between 1999 and 2019. The study adopted the theory of prebendalism as its theoretical framework of analysis, and also used descriptive research method as means of sourcing information through documentary method. This study argues that the poor infrastructural development in Enugu State is linked to the fact that government functionaries are not inclined to the people’s yearning for democratic dividends. We therefore, found among others that democratic governance has not impacted fully on infrastructural development in Enugu State, and recommends that leaders should pay particular attention to the people’s needs.