By Oyewole Sarumi
Nigeria stands at a crossroads. After more than two decades of uninterrupted democratic rule, the promise of democracy remains unfulfilled for millions of citizens who continue to grapple with poverty, insecurity, and a pervasive sense of abandonment by those entrusted with leadership. The gap between what democracy promises and what it delivers has never been wider, and the consequences of this disconnect are becoming increasingly evident in the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians.
The central thesis of this article is simple yet profound: good politics at all levels must focus on good governance, political accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. These are not abstract ideals but practical imperatives that determine whether democracy translates into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens. When these principles are absent, democracy becomes a hollow shell, elections without meaning, representation without accountability, and governance without development.
The challenge before us is not merely institutional but deeply cultural and ethical. We need what the Yoruba tradition calls Omoluabi, individuals of good character, integrity, and social responsibility, in government at all levels. We need leaders who understand that their position is a sacred trust, not a license for self-enrichment. We need a symbiotic relationship between leadership and followership, where both parties understand their obligations to the common good rather than viewing governance as a parasitic enterprise designed to extract value from communities.
This article is addressed to political leaders, policymakers, corporate executives, and all those who hold positions of influence in Nigerian society. It draws on current research, empirical data, and comparative analysis to make the case for a fundamental reorientation of how we practice politics in this country. The evidence is clear: without good politics, there can be no enduring development. The time for half-measures and cosmetic reforms has passed. What is required is a wholesale transformation of our political culture, starting with the principles outlined in these pages.
The State of Governance in Nigeria: A Diagnostic Overview
Before we can chart a path forward, we must honestly confront where we stand. The data on Nigeria’s governance performance is sobering and demands the urgent attention of every leader and policymaker.
Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Nigeria 142nd out of 182 countries, down from 140th in 2024, with a score of 26 out of 100. This places Nigeria behind 33 other African countries and well below the global average of 43. The country’s score has hovered around this level for years, 150th in 2022, 145th in 2023, and 140th in 2024, showing stagnation and no real progress. The sub-Saharan African average stands at 33, meaning Nigeria significantly underperforms even its regional peers.
The implications of this persistent corruption ranking are far-reaching. Corruption diverts resources from essential services, undermines climate action, and erodes human rights. It discourages foreign investment, increases the cost of doing business, and perpetuates a cycle of poverty and underdevelopment. Perhaps most damaging of all, it erodes public trust in the very institutions designed to serve the people.
The World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators paint an equally troubling picture. Nigeria’s performance on the Government Effectiveness Index remains significantly below global norms. On a scale ranging from –2.5 to +2.5, Nigeria’s score stood at –0.85, far below the world average of approximately –0.04. The World Bank has explicitly identified governance as Nigeria’s greatest obstacle, highlighting the country’s poor performance on governance indicators such as government effectiveness, accountability, and political stability, which remain among the weakest in Africa.
The trust deficit is perhaps the most alarming indicator of all. The 2026 Nigeria Social Cohesion Report by the Africa Polling Institute revealed that 72 percent of Nigerians expressed little or no trust in the government of President Bola Tinubu. The National Assembly emerged as the least trusted public institution, with 77 percent of Nigerians expressing little or no confidence in the legislature. The judiciary fared only slightly better, with 73 percent expressing distrust. In contrast, religious and traditional leaders retained relatively higher public confidence, with 51 percent and 45 percent of respondents respectively expressing significant trust in them.
The RPI African Policy Index 2025 identified Nigeria as one of the countries suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, describing this as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent. Nigeria records one of Africa’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence. Anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement. This trust deficit is not merely a matter of perception—it is a fundamental threat to the legitimacy and effectiveness of governance itself.
Good Governance: The Foundation of Enduring Development
Good governance is the bedrock upon which all other development outcomes rest. Without it, no amount of policy formulation, international assistance, or economic reform can produce sustainable results. But what exactly do we mean by good governance, and how can it be achieved in the Nigerian context?
At its core, good governance refers to the processes and institutions through which authority is exercised in the management of a country’s resources for development. It encompasses the mechanisms by which citizens articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations, and mediate their differences. The World Bank’s State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Program (SFTAS), implemented between 2018 and 2022, provides instructive lessons. Through performance-based grants totaling $1.5 billion, states were encouraged to implement measures that improved fiscal governance. By the third year of implementation, all states were publishing annual budgets and audited financial statements on time and in compliance with international standards. Thirty states regularly published quarterly budget implementation reports, and citizen engagement in budget processes increased significantly.
These achievements demonstrate that even in challenging contexts, incremental progress in fiscal governance is possible. However, the report also notes that reforms disrupting entrenched patronage networks, such as reducing budget deviations and sustaining procurement transparency, proved most difficult to implement and maintain. This observation points to a fundamental truth: good governance is not merely a technical exercise but a political one. It requires confronting powerful interests and changing entrenched behaviors.
For Nigeria, achieving good governance requires attention to several critical dimensions. First, there must be a clear separation of powers and effective checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Second, institutions must be strengthened to perform their functions independently and effectively. Third, there must be mechanisms for citizen participation and oversight that go beyond periodic elections. Fourth, the rule of law must be upheld consistently and impartially. Fifth, there must be a commitment to meritocracy and professional competence in the public service.
The Federal Civil Service Commission’s Next Level Reform Agenda acknowledges that Nigeria’s performance on the Government Effectiveness Index remains significantly below global norms. The approval of three transformative policies aimed at boosting productivity and enhancing service delivery across the civil service marks a step in the right direction. These policies herald a new era of performance-driven governance, strategic talent development, and enhanced accountability. However, policy announcements must be matched by implementation and enforcement. The gap between policy and practice remains wide, and closing it requires sustained political will and institutional capacity.
Political Accountability: The Cornerstone of Democratic Governance
Political accountability is the mechanism through which those in power are held responsible for their actions and decisions. In a functioning democracy, accountability operates through multiple channels: elections, legislative oversight, judicial review, media scrutiny, and civil society engagement. When these channels are weak or compromised, accountability becomes a fiction, and democracy loses its meaning.
In Nigeria, the challenge of political accountability is particularly acute. A 2025 study examining two decades of democracy in Nigeria found that “after two decades of democratic order, the principle of accountability and probity seems not to be part of leadership in Nigeria. Hence, political actors are known for the arbitrary use of power for personal enjoyment”. This observation is echoed by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which noted that as of 2025, democracy in Nigeria still remains fragile, marked by institutional weaknesses, electoral distrust, and public disillusionment.
The concept of federated autocracy has been used to describe how authoritarian practices are coordinated across different levels of government within Nigeria’s federal system. This framework explains why democratic institutions continue to undermine political pluralism and accountability. The illusion of multiparty democracy persists while actual power remains concentrated and unaccountable.
Strengthening political accountability requires action on multiple fronts. Electoral integrity must be enhanced through reforms that address widespread violence, vote buying, administrative inefficiencies, and deep-rooted public mistrust of electoral institutions. The National Assembly must exercise genuine oversight over the executive branch rather than serving as a rubber stamp. The judiciary must be independent and courageous in holding power to account. The media must be free to investigate and report on government activities without fear of reprisal. Civil society organizations must have the space to monitor governance and advocate for reform.
There are signs of progress, however uneven. The Tinubu administration has been described as gradually institutionalizing a governance model where every appointee understands that misconduct has consequences. By allowing public scrutiny to influence official accountability, the administration is taking steps in the right direction. The challenge is to ensure that these accountability mechanisms are not merely performative but genuinely consequential.
Transparency: Illuminating the Corridors of Power
Transparency is the quality of being open, clear, and accountable in decision-making and resource management. It is the antidote to secrecy, which is the breeding ground of corruption and abuse of power. When government operations are transparent, citizens can see how decisions are made, how resources are allocated, and whether those in power are acting in the public interest.
Nigeria’s record on transparency is mixed at best. The Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2025 rated Nigeria low in transparency, accountability, oversight, and public participation in the national budget. The assessment revealed that four key areas—legal and institutional framework, debt transparency, debt oversight, and public participation, do not yet work in a way that makes debt accountability clear, consistent, and accessible. The International Budget Partnership Nigeria called on the Federal Government to ensure transparency, accountability, and public participation in Nigeria’s debt management processes.
The Country Director of the International Budget Partnership Nigeria, Olayinka Babalola, observed that “public participation in debt management was very weak, and the connection between borrowing and visible outcomes for citizens remained weak and often unclear, thereby triggering distrust and suspicion”. She further noted that there was “very little evidence of structured opportunities for the public, civil society, media or other stakeholders to engage, specifically on borrowing plans, debt levels or fiscal deficits, before key decisions are concluded by the government”. This makes these processes unaccountable to the people.
The debt situation is particularly alarming. Nigeria’s public debt crossed ₦149 trillion in mid-2025, while debt servicing now consumes more than 60 percent of federal revenue. Experts warn that this trend is unsustainable. When debt service consumes such a large proportion of revenue, there is little left for investment in health, education, infrastructure, and other essential services. Yet the borrowing continues, often without adequate transparency or public debate about the terms and purposes of loans.
At the local government level, the situation is even more concerning. The Nigerian Local Government Integrity Index (NLGII) 2025 baseline assessment revealed that 85 percent of local government areas fall into the “Very High” or “Critical” risk categories, reflecting widespread opacity, weak enforcement mechanisms, and fragile service delivery. The assessment found that 751 local government areas are lagging behind in fiscal transparency and accountability. Only a few local governments in states like Nasarawa are demonstrating consistent progress in financial disclosure, citizen engagement, and public service transparency.
The path to greater transparency requires several concrete steps. Budget documents must be made widely and easily accessible to the public, including online. The supreme audit institution must meet international standards of independence and publish audit reports of the government’s executed budget. Accessible information on public procurement contracts must be published. Citizens, civil society organizations, and the media must have meaningful opportunities to engage with budget processes before decisions are finalized. The Freedom of Information Act must be effectively implemented and enforced.
Fiscal Responsibility: Managing Public Resources for the Common Good
Fiscal responsibility refers to the prudent management of public finances, raising revenue, allocating resources, and incurring debt in ways that are sustainable and serve the public interest. It requires that governments live within their means, prioritize essential expenditures, and avoid burdening future generations with unsustainable debt.
Nigeria’s fiscal situation is precarious. The fiscal deficit expanded in January 2025 compared with the preceding month. Debt service consumes more than 60 percent of federal revenue, leaving little room for capital investment. The revenue sharing formula allocates 52.68 percent to the federal government, 26.72 percent to state governments, and 20.60 percent to local governments, a formula that many argue does not reflect current responsibilities, needs, and capacities.
The World Bank’s SFTAS Program demonstrated that fiscal reform is possible. Internally generated revenue rose nominally from 19.6 percent of total revenues in 2017 to 29.2 percent in 2022. Thirty-three states linked 95 percent of civil servants and pensioners to biometric and Bank Verification Number data, reducing payroll fraud. Nearly all states passed procurement laws aligned with international standards, and eighteen introduced e-procurement systems. Twenty states have continued to maintain biometric and Bank Verification Number linkage for civil servants and pensioners even after the program’s financial incentives ended.
These achievements show that fiscal responsibility is attainable. However, sustaining progress will require a combination of continued financial incentives under new programs such as States Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) and HOPE-Gov, stronger institutional capacities, and enhanced citizen engagement. The challenge now is to move from transparency to accountability and ensure reforms translate into better fiscal outcomes.
For Nigeria, fiscal responsibility must mean more than just balancing budgets. It must mean ensuring that public resources are used effectively to deliver services to citizens. It must mean borrowing only for investments that will generate returns sufficient to service the debt. It must mean ending the culture of waste and extravagance that has characterized public expenditure for too long. It must mean holding public officials accountable for every kobo of public money entrusted to their care.
The Omoluabi Leadership Ethos: Reclaiming Our Indigenous Values
The Yoruba concept of Omoluabi offers a powerful framework for thinking about leadership and governance in Nigeria. Omoluabi embodies a well-mannered, intelligent, and dignified personality. It is a person of good character who embodies integrity, humility, respect for others, and commitment to the common good. The Omoluabi ethos is not merely a cultural artifact but a living tradition with profound implications for how we practice politics and governance.
Scholars have explored the African Indigenous Practice of Omoluabi value among the Yoruba of South Western Nigeria as an approach to ethical leadership. This indigenous knowledge of leadership fosters ethics and morality accentuated by Omoluabi’s characters. There is a connection between good governance and Omoluabi’s qualities, many of which are absent in successive Nigerian political leaders. The absence of these qualities has led to lax governance and its negative effects on Nigeria and its people.
What does Omoluabi leadership look like in practice? It means leaders who see their position as a trust, not an entitlement. It means leaders who are accountable to the people they serve, not just to their political patrons. It means leaders who prioritize the common good over personal enrichment. It means leaders who are humble enough to listen and learn, courageous enough to make difficult decisions, and principled enough to resist corruption and abuse of power. It means leaders who understand that leadership is service, not domination.
The Omoluabi ethos has been invoked by political leaders across the spectrum. The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has been described as being at the forefront of projecting the Omoluabi ethos. Also, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has been celebrated for his citizen-centric governance style, founded on fairness, justice, equity, and humility. However, the concept has also been criticized when used to legitimize leaders who do not embody its values. This tension highlights the gap between rhetoric and reality, between claiming the mantle of Omoluabi and actually living its values.
For Nigeria to achieve enduring development, we need leaders at all levels who embody the Omoluabi ethos. We need governors, legislators, local government chairmen, and civil servants who understand that their positions are opportunities to serve, not opportunities to exploit. We need a political culture that rewards character and competence rather than connections and cash. We need citizens who demand Omoluabi leadership and refuse to accept anything less.
Symbiotic Leadership and Followership: The Missing Link
One of the most overlooked dimensions of good governance is the relationship between leaders and followers. Too often, we focus exclusively on leadership, on the character, competence, and conduct of those in power, while neglecting the role of citizens in holding leaders accountable and participating in governance. Yet leadership and followership are supposed to be symbiotic, not parasitic. Each depends on the other for effective governance.
The concept of symbiotic leadership and followership recognizes that both parties have obligations. Leaders must govern with integrity, transparency, and accountability. They must listen to citizens, respond to their needs, and involve them in decision-making. They must be accessible and responsive, not distant and aloof. They must see themselves as servants of the people, not masters over them.
Followers, for their part, must be engaged and active citizens. They must vote in elections, participate in civic organizations, and hold leaders accountable. They must demand transparency, speak out against injustice, and refuse to accept corruption and incompetence. They must be willing to sacrifice for the common good and cooperate with fellow citizens across ethnic, religious, and regional lines.
The Africa Polling Institute’s 2026 Social Cohesion Survey found that 71 percent of citizens are extremely or somewhat willing to sacrifice or give up something of interest for the collective good of the nation. Seventy-seven percent are extremely or somewhat willing to cooperate with fellow citizens from other ethnic groups to make Nigeria more united. Seventy-three percent are extremely or somewhat willing to participate in the political process to make Nigeria a better place for all. These findings suggest that Nigerians are ready to be engaged and responsible citizens. The question is whether leaders are ready to meet them halfway.
The survey also found that 48 percent believe the country is much more divided today than it was four years ago, up 17 percentage points from 31 percent in 2025. This perception of division is a threat to the symbiotic relationship between leaders and followers. When citizens feel that the country is divided and that leaders are not acting in the national interest, they withdraw from civic engagement. They become cynical and apathetic, which only reinforces poor governance.
Building a symbiotic relationship between leaders and followers requires deliberate effort. Leaders must create opportunities for citizen participation in governance. They must be transparent about their decisions and accountable for their actions. They must reach out across ethnic, religious, and regional lines to build a sense of national unity. Citizens, in turn, must engage constructively, hold leaders accountable, and resist the temptation to retreat into ethnic or religious enclaves.
The Path Forward: Recommendations for Political Leaders and Policymakers
The evidence presented in this article makes clear that Nigeria faces a governance crisis of significant proportions. The crisis is manifested in persistent corruption, weak institutions, fiscal irresponsibility, and a profound trust deficit between citizens and their government. Addressing this crisis requires action on multiple fronts by political leaders, policymakers, and citizens alike.
First, political leaders must commit to transparency as a non-negotiable principle of governance. This means making budget documents, procurement contracts, and audit reports publicly accessible. It means involving citizens in budget processes and decision-making. It means being open about borrowing, debt, and fiscal policies. Transparency is not optional, it is essential for building trust and ensuring accountability.
Second, fiscal responsibility must be prioritized above political expediency. Nigeria cannot continue to borrow without a clear plan for repayment and without ensuring that borrowed funds are used for productive investments. Debt service consuming more than 60 percent of federal revenue is unsustainable and must be addressed urgently. Leaders must make the difficult decisions necessary to put Nigeria’s fiscal house in order.
Third, accountability mechanisms must be strengthened at all levels of government. The National Assembly must exercise genuine oversight. The judiciary must be independent and courageous. Anti-corruption agencies must be empowered to investigate and prosecute corruption without political interference. Citizens must have avenues to hold leaders accountable between elections.
Fourth, the Omoluabi ethos must be embraced as a guiding principle for leadership. This means selecting leaders based on character and competence, not connections and cash. It means holding leaders to high ethical standards. It means creating a political culture that rewards integrity and punishes corruption. It means reclaiming our indigenous values of good character, humility, and service.
Fifth, local government autonomy must be implemented fully and effectively. The Supreme Court judgment of July 2024 affirming the financial autonomy of local governments must be respected and implemented. Local governments are the tier of government closest to the people and must be empowered to deliver services and promote development at the community level. Financially empowered local governments would help address insecurity, youth unemployment, and rural underdevelopment.
Sixth, civil service reform must continue and deepen. The transition to a paperless civil service, the approval of performance-driven policies, and the introduction of performance contracts are steps in the right direction. However, these reforms must be sustained and extended to ensure that the civil service is competent, efficient, and accountable.
Seventh, citizen engagement must be institutionalized. Citizens must have meaningful opportunities to participate in governance, not just through elections but through budget processes, policy formulation, and oversight. The government must create platforms for citizen feedback and respond to citizen concerns.
Eighth, the trust deficit must be addressed as a matter of urgency. The RPI African Policy Index 2025 sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. Bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.
As I conclude this piece, the argument of this article is simple but profound: good politics at all levels is essential for enduring development in Nigeria. Good politics means governance that is transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible. It means leaders who embody the Omoluabi ethos of integrity, humility, and service. It means a symbiotic relationship between leaders and followers, where both parties understand their obligations to the common good.
The evidence is clear that Nigeria has a long way to go. The country ranks among the most corrupt in the world. Trust in government and public institutions is at historic lows. Fiscal irresponsibility threatens the country’s economic future. Local governments remain weak and ineffective. The gap between policy and practice, between rhetoric and reality, has never been wider.
Yet there is reason for hope. The SFTAS Program demonstrated that fiscal reform is possible. Civil service reforms are underway. Local government autonomy has been affirmed by the Supreme Court. Citizens remain willing to engage and sacrifice for the common good. The Omoluabi ethos offers a powerful framework for ethical leadership rooted in our indigenous values.
The challenge before us is to translate these possibilities into reality. This requires political will, institutional capacity, and citizen engagement. It requires leaders who are willing to put the common good above personal interest. It requires citizens who are willing to hold leaders accountable and participate in governance. It requires all of us to embrace the values of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.
The alternative is continued stagnation, poverty, and underdevelopment. The choice is ours. We can continue with business as usual, accepting corruption, incompetence, and irresponsibility as the price of democracy. Or, we can demand better, better governance, better leadership, better politics. The future of Nigeria depends on the choices we make today. Let us choose wisely. Let us choose good politics.
Prof. Sarumi, a digital transformation architect, political economy/policy analyst and Leadership Specialist with over 40 years of cross-sector experience across Nigeria and the African continent, write from Lagos. Tel. 08033041421, Email: oyewolethecoach@gmail.com
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