Democratic Governance and Human Right in Nigeria

Treatises on democratic governance and human rights have become a complex issue in contemporary politicking leading to a global democratic change that swept across all boundaries. Nigeria like many other developing countries struggled to abandon military rule for democracy. The seventeen years of Fourth Republic democratic experiment in Nigeria have been characterized with adversities of good democratic governance. Several efforts made to consolidate democratic governance and human rights in the country were faced with daunting challenges. Amidst this trajectory and concerns, is the clamour for recognition and observance of human rights. The paper critically investigates this situation and assesses the challenges associating the quest for effective democratic governance and human right in the country within the era of global democratic change. The paper argued that human rights are inextricably linked with democratic governance. They both require that people be aware of their rights and duties, that appropriate institutional arrangements facilitate their realization and that a democratic civic culture have a role in both issues of national importance and those of everyday life. The paper emphasize on restructuring attitudes, institutions and resources towards the principles of democratic governance and human rights protection.