“Democracy is not just a ceremony; it is bread on the table,” says Chidi Odinkalu, a prominent human rights advocate, echoing the frustration of millions of Nigerians who feel trapped in a cycle of broken promises. For all its rituals of elections, swearing-ins, and official declarations, Nigeria’s democracy, now in its third decade, still dangles the promise of development like a carrot — or, to borrow a local metaphor, offers the political kolanut but seldom cracks it open for the people to taste its kernel.
The dividends of democracy, once chanted as a national mantra, remain largely aspirational. Roads across the Niger Delta are still cratered; power generation hovers around an erratic 4,000 megawatts for a population exceeding 200 million; unemployment among youths has climbed to an alarming 33 percent. “We were told democracy would heal everything,” lamented Nkechi Okorie, a teacher in Enugu, “but what we chew feels like the husk of a kolanut — bitter, tough, and empty of nourishment.”
The disillusionment is palpable. Campaign seasons are festive, filled with kolanut-breaking ceremonies where politicians invoke unity, shower blessings, and pledge transformation. But once the rituals end, many Nigerians are left staring at abandoned projects and empty treasuries. Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perception Index still ranks Nigeria 154 out of 180, underscoring a corruption epidemic that devours resources meant for hospitals, schools, and clean water. As Prof Wole Soyinka once quipped, “Our leaders turn governance into theatre while the stage props rot around us.”
Yet even in this atmosphere of disappointment, slivers of hope persist. States like Lagos and Edo have digitized budgets and procurement processes, giving citizens direct access to how funds are allocated and spent. In 2025’s electoral cycle, a new generation of reformist candidates rose, campaigning not just on tribal loyalty but on measurable policies — renewable energy plans, anti-graft mechanisms, and inclusive governance for the 60% of Nigerians under 25. “If we are the future, then the future must begin now,” declared 29-year-old activist-turned-politician Aisha Danladi during her campaign rally in Kano.
Still, the broader system resists change. Anti-corruption agencies remain beholden to political influence, courts are clogged with cases that rarely reach conviction, and citizens grow weary of casting votes whose outcomes barely shift their daily realities. Voter turnout in the last general election was barely 27%, the lowest in decades. Political scientist Jibrin Ibrahim warns, “A democracy without citizen faith is a house built on sand; the first strong wind of disillusionment can sweep it away.”
The challenge, however, is not insurmountable. Civic education campaigns are emerging, teaching communities how to monitor government budgets and demand accountability. Mobile apps now track constituency projects in real-time, allowing voters to see whether money allocated for schools and clinics actually builds them. Youth coalitions born out of movements like #EndSARS continue to push for systemic reform, using social media to amplify citizen voices and name corrupt officials.
Democracy, like the kolanut, requires patience, but patience alone does not feed the hungry. A kolanut must be cracked; its kernel shared among all at the table. For Nigeria, that means fortifying institutions, shielding anti-corruption bodies from political interference, and insisting on fiscal discipline. It means that every borrowed dollar must build a bridge, not a politician’s private mansion. It means youth — not just as voters but as leaders — must be allowed to steer the national conversation.
Nigeria stands at a defining moment. Will its leaders continue to hand citizens the empty husk of democracy while chewing the sweet kernel in private? Or will they finally break the kolanut before the people, letting every Nigerian taste the dividends they were promised? The answer will determine whether the world’s most populous Black nation remains trapped in the rituals of democracy — or begins to reap its rewards.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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