By Hamilton Odunze
As a book enthusiast and in my training as a writer, I have learned to go beyond the surface to seek answers to my own conundrums. I strive to understand underlying problems. I strongly believe that a realistic solution cannot be discovered until a situation is completely understood. Consider, for example, democracy in Nigeria. I am interested in understanding why, despite many years of practice, democracy is still vulnerable in Nigeria. Why have the values and gains that make democracy the best system of government remained an illusion? To pursue my curiosity, I recently responded to an invitation I had put in abeyance for six months. Last week, I joined a think tank group created by The Foundation for Democracy in Africa. The group has taken up the challenge of finding and advocating for practical solutions that will strengthen democracy in Nigeria and other African nations.
I do not question the group members’ intelligence, dedication, passion, and commitment. However, I do question their chosen starting point. How do you start such a colossal task that, if well articulated and implemented, will change the course of history in Nigeria and Africa as a whole? In my initial letter to the group, I argued it should direct initial efforts toward changing Africans’ understanding of civilization. The truth is that to understand democracy and make it as effective as it was designed to be, the underlying civilization that gave rise to it must also be well understood. What I was trying to say was that democracy and the associated tendency to develop a society cannot be realized without understanding civilization.
I say this because the concept of democracy as a system of governance was designed while considering the level of civilization that existed in ancient Rome and was then transferred to Europe and America. In fairness to those who claimed democracy to be the best system of governance possible, African nations do not have the fundamental level of civilization necessary for building strong and sustainable democracy that stands the test of time. If you believe my assumption is rebellious or erroneous, consider this: It takes a significant amount of civilized restraint for a leader to recognize that, even more than it offers any one person or set of cabals the power to rule, democracy gives the governed power to challenge and disagree.
Needless to say, I received strong pushback from members of the group, many of whom are intellectuals and erudite scholars of democracy and politics. From their standpoint, corruption and mismanagement of resources are the key drawbacks to democracy and economic growth in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole. However, take Nigeria, for example: Even a cursory observation of democratic values and political trends reveals that corruption and mismanagement of resources are symptoms of an underlying problem not the real cause. As expected, some members cited Nigeria as a good example of a nation whose leaders are well travelled and educated, and therefore civilized.
But the civilization upon which democracy and social development thrive is based on a plan of collective growth. It has nothing to do with any one individual’s level of education or global exposure. It is a commitment to a plan of development that will benefit everyone. In addition, it will bring awareness that civilization is measured by the way people interact with other members of their society and the norms that make such interaction possible. In other words, regardless of finances, travel, and level of education, people are only as civilized as the environment they call home.
Nigerians, like all Africans, understand civilization to mean the advancement of self instead of the collective wellbeing and growth of the society or improving the aesthetic appeal of their environment. How else do you explain the ignorance of government officials who steal money meant for infrastructure to buy Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Aston Martins they then drive on narrow, waterlogged roads? How do you explain the absurdity of our leaders building mansions in cities and towns without a reliable power supply, paved roads, and adequate drainage? The argument I made in my letter to The Foundation for Democracy in Africa is that, until Nigerians and Africans embrace the notion that civilization is a communal phenomenon, democracy and social development will never be strengthened. Changing the mainstream narrative is a good place to start.
Hamilton Odunze