Globally, economies find workable, sustainable and quick solutions to their challenges. Policies are one of the critical measures for such solution-seeking outcomes. Policies define the strength, commitment and drive to resolve a problem. It informs the people on how knowledgeable the government understands the issues, the effect, causes and strategies to surmount the situation and evolve.
Since independence, Nigeria has engaged in several economic, social, political, and environmental policy formulations to address specific challenges. Experts sometimes model these policies through brainstorming, reviews, assessment, knowledge, debate and other processes to arrive at coherent ideas. Policies take time to be formulated.
They are time-bound with a clear mandate to achieve results. Nigeria has witnessed policy failures, some of which were due to several reasons. Some policies, maybe economic, even defy the simple principles and foundations of economics. Identifying why policies, programmes and ideas fail in Nigeria has become imperative.
There exists a strong interdependence between politics and the economy. Politics defines the economy, while politics is a product of the economy. Policies in Nigeria are not free from undue political interference. The political class has taken over the soul of policies in Nigeria, especially during implementation. Excellent and well-formulated policies fail in Nigeria when they are influenced by those in the position of power to suit certain individuals or groups.
An example is the electoral laws in Nigeria. Those with little or no knowledge of the core challenges disrupt the process or flow of policies. Policies in Nigeria fail due to a lack of inclusion for those at the bottom of the pyramid. Policies are sometimes formulated and implemented without the input of the divergent interest group.
These policies fail to acknowledge the individual or group’s peculiarities and differences. People become repulsive and antagonistic to these non-inclusive policies that care less about their interests.
Religion has led to the failure of policies in Nigeria. Nigeria’s religious plurality has impacted the selection and choices of policies, especially when they negate the religious beliefs of those in the position of authority. Religiosity is highest in poorer nations, according to available statistics.
Countries with very high religious affiliations allow their faith to inform their actions. The non-liberal and rigid culture of societies like Nigeria has led to the failure of policies to drive her to development. The rejection of gender equality policies in Nigeria is an example.
The national social investment project of the present administration is an example of policy failure due to poor implementation and corruption. The policies are meant to address youth unemployment and poverty, support the impoverished and vulnerable Nigerians in agriculture, business, and cash transfer and encourage school enrollment.
However, they have been entirely defeated due to poor implementation and corruption.
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Policies that are “borrowed or lifted” for societies with different environments, cultures and systems are bound for failure. Nigeria has witnessed decades of policy adoption that are non-adaptive to our society. These policies do not consider our differences, culture, environment and uniqueness.
These policies may have achieved tremendous success in other economies but would fail because of the inability to adapt to our demographic and attitudinal differences. Some policies are also poorly planned, hasty and do not fit into our history.
The Structural Adjustment Programme is another example. Low access to finance is another reason for policy failure in Nigeria. Specific policies in Nigeria would require huge present and future access to funds to enable it to achieve its objectives.
While corruption has contributed to capital flight in Nigeria, specific policies in health care, education and power would be impossible, even in an atmosphere of less corruption because they are high-intensive.
A nation where more than 70 percent of its population is not engaged in productive activities and is dubbed the world’s poverty capital will not realise certain policies with substantial financial commitment from the government and citizens.
Bad leadership and governance failure have significantly contributed to the “death” of excellent and well-thought-out policies. Incompetence at the highest level of decision-making in Nigeria has contributed to policy failure in Nigeria for decades. Bad leadership fails to prioritise policies that are short-term, mid-term and long-term.
Governance failure encourages the culture of waste, high cost of governance and fuel nepotism, ethnicity and fails to acknowledge the changing dynamics of emerging economies. As a result, Nigeria has been left behind in the train of development. Our challenges are self-inflicted and would require only genuine efforts to save the fast-regressing state of our economy and political system.
Alikor Victor is a development economist and policy analyst at the Nextier Group
