Nigeria has not made any significant political progress in the past years, according to a political analyst and professor of strategy and development, Anthony Kila.
Kila made this remark during an interview on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Friday, where he assessed the state of the nation’s democracy and governance.
“Have we progressed? I think not. I think, overall, we have not progressed politically, I do not see a major regression but we have not progressed, the trajectory is about the same. If you’re looking at the graph you’ll not see a major shift just some tiny movements here and there, which is a shame,” he said.
He added that as a political analyst, he expects quantum leaps in the development of the country, but he has not seen that happening. He noted that some individuals and organizations have gained or lost in the political arena, but the overall picture remains unchanged.
Kila also emphasized the importance of transparency, swiftness and electronic measures in determining the progress of a country in the 21st century. He said that Nigeria needs to be conscious of the digital era and adopt the best practices in everything it does.
He lamented that one of the regressive steps that Nigeria has made is the over-reliance on the judiciary to resolve political matters. He said that this is very bad and sad, and it should not be the case. He argued that Nigeria has become more partisan than before, and this has affected the quality of its democracy and governance.
Kila urged the political leaders and the citizens to work together to improve the political situation of the country and make it more democratic, accountable and responsive to the needs of the people.
He asserted, “As a political analyst I ask for a quantum leaps generally in things, we haven’t seen that. Some individuals, some organizations, some have gained, some have lost.
“In 2023, progress is majorly determined by transparency, swiftness and electronic measures, that is the world we are in now. If it was about a hundred years ago it would have been about language, are you moving from latin to english and to other popular languages. We live in an era where things are determined digitally, and we need to be conscious of that in everything we do.
“One regressive step we have made is the only presence of judiciary in political matters. That is very bad and a sad thing and it shouldn’t be that way. Unfortunately, we have become more partisan than before.”
