STATE-SOCIETY GAP AND DEVELOPMENT CONUNDRUM IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF DELTA STATE
Abstract
Nigeria is contemporarily plagued by a myriad of socioeconomic and political problems that are detrimental to its developmental prospects. Among the factors that have inhibited Nigeria’s development, poor leadership has arguably been pivotal and highly consequential, creating a state-society gap that makes the adoption of a representative system of government through democracy look like a mistake. Hence, the study examined “State-Society Gap and Development Conundrum in Nigeria: A Study of Delta State.” Two research objectives were established, from which two research questions were formulated. The study was anchored on structural theory and state-centered theory of development. The cross-sectional research design was used for the study and a sample of four hundred (400) respondents was drawn for the study using the simple random sampling technique. To collect data from respondents, a structured questionnaire was used and the data obtained were analysed using the Arithmetic Mean and Standard Deviation. The data analysis revealed that the poor collaboration of government and associations/unions negatively impacts development in Delta State and the disintegration of the government and other social institutions has facilitated social instability in Delta State. Based on these findings, it was recommended that Delta State government should actively engage with associations, unions, and community-based organisations in planning, implementing, and monitoring development projects and ensure that development initiatives align with local needs and priorities, among others.
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