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Has Democracy Worked in Any Way for Africa?
Democracy. A grand idea sold with promises of freedom, prosperity, and justice. Over a hundred years, Africa, and Nigeria in particular, has danced with this system. But what has it brought? Has democracy fulfilled its promise, or has it been a cloak worn by those with power to keep the masses subdued?
Look at Nigeria. A land rich in history, culture, and resources. The oil flows, the lands are fertile, the people are resilient.
Yet, the average Nigerian wakes up every day to battle the same foes—poverty, corruption, and an unyielding struggle for basic human rights. Democracy was supposed to be a remedy, a way to lift the nation from its chains. Instead, it seems those chains have only been polished, not broken.
The elections come, and so do the promises. Hope is kindled, then swiftly extinguished by the familiar hand of betrayal. Leaders rise, wearing the banners of the people, only to forget the faces of those they pledged to serve. The votes are counted, the speeches are made, but the roads remain broken, the hospitals empty, and the schools struggling to teach children with no books, no lights, and no future in sight.
Democracy, they said, would give the people a voice. But what good is a voice if it is drowned out by the clamor of power and money? In the corridors of power, deals are struck and hands are shaken, not in the interest of the public, but in the pursuit of personal gain.
Corruption is no longer a crime; it’s a way of life. The ordinary man, the farmer, the trader, the student—they see the game and know the rules, but they are not players. They are spectators in a match where the outcome is rigged long before the whistle blows.
Let’s speak plainly. Nigeria’s brand of democracy has not been a cure; it’s been a contagion. Leaders change, but the problems remain the same. The system that was meant to serve the people has been twisted into a mechanism that serves only those at the top. It is not democracy that is failing Africa; it is the people in power who are failing democracy.
One hundred years is a long time to wait for promises to be fulfilled. The question is no longer whether democracy works for Africa, but whether Africa’s leaders are willing to make it work. It’s not enough to hold elections and call it a day. Real democracy is more than ballots and slogans. It is justice, equity, and a commitment to the welfare of all citizens, not just the privileged few.
The continent has been patient, but patience has limits. The call for change grows louder each day, echoing from the bustling streets of Lagos to the farmlands of Kano. People are not asking for much; they are asking for a system that serves them, not betrays them. For a democracy that listens, not one that silences. The real test of democracy in Africa is not in its existence but in its ability to deliver on its promise.
The time for excuses is over. Africa’s future cannot be built on broken promises and recycled failures. Democracy must mean something more, or it means nothing at all.
In the end, democracy in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, stands at a crossroads. It has shown glimpses of promise but has too often been marred by corruption, mismanagement, and empty words. The people have waited long enough. Democracy must be reclaimed, redefined, and reshaped into a force that truly serves the citizens—delivering on its ideals of freedom, justice, and progress. If it continues to fail, then it is not democracy that will be judged, but those who have squandered its potential.
Cordially,
Edward Astaire