BY AMB. HUSSAINI H. COOMASSIE

Peace and good governance do not happen by accident. They are the products of deliberate institutions, responsible leadership, justice, accountability, economic opportunity, social inclusion and an informed citizenry.

Africa is not short of human or natural resources. The continent possesses enormous quantities of oil, gas, solid minerals, agricultural land, forests, water resources and a youthful population. Yet the existence of resources alone does not guarantee prosperity. The decisive question is whether political and institutional systems are capable of converting those resources into security, economic opportunity, justice and improved living standards for citizens.

Nigeria occupies a particularly important position in this discussion. As Africa’s most populous country, one of its largest economies and a major political and security actor in West Africa, Nigeria’s governance challenges and successes have consequences beyond its borders.

The experience of African countries demonstrates that there is no single model of governance. Ghana, Botswana, Mauritius, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa, among others, offer different lessons in institution-building, electoral management, economic governance, peacebuilding and public administration. None is without shortcomings, but their experiences demonstrate that political choices and institutional design matter.

The central question, therefore, is not simply what should African governments do? It is what mechanisms can make peace and good governance sustainable?

1. BUILD INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE STRONGER THAN INDIVIDUALS

The first mechanism for sustainable peace and good governance is the creation of institutions capable of surviving changes in political leadership.

A country becomes vulnerable when political institutions depend excessively on the personality, goodwill or discretion of individual leaders. Strong states are built when laws, procedures and institutions continue to function regardless of who occupies the presidential palace, governor’s office or ministerial position.

The legislature, judiciary, electoral commissions, civil service, audit institutions, anti-corruption agencies and security services must therefore operate according to clearly established laws and professional standards.

Botswana provides an important comparative lesson in the value of institutional continuity and relatively stable democratic institutions. Mauritius has similarly demonstrated the importance of constitutionalism, institutional checks and a professional public sector. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has consistently placed countries such as Mauritius, Botswana, Ghana and Senegal among Africa’s stronger governance performers in various editions of its governance assessments.

Nigeria should therefore pursue institutional reform not simply by creating more agencies, commissions and laws, but by ensuring that existing institutions have professional autonomy, adequate resources and enforceable mandates.

The principle should be clear: institutions must govern the country, not individuals.

2. ESTABLISH CREDIBLE, FREE AND TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS

No democracy can enjoy durable legitimacy where citizens do not trust the electoral process.

Elections should be contests of ideas, competence, character and public policy—not contests determined primarily by money, intimidation, vote buying, ethnic mobilisation or manipulation of electoral institutions.

Ghana offers an instructive West African example. Its competitive multiparty elections and repeated transfers of political power have contributed to its reputation for democratic stability. A 2026 comparative assessment of Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso similarly identifies Ghana’s relative political stability and democratic consolidation as a significant contrast with Nigeria’s institutional and security challenges.

Nigeria has made important progress since the return to civilian government in 1999, including improvements in electoral technology and administration. Nevertheless, electoral irregularities, vote buying, violence and public distrust remain concerns.

The necessary mechanisms include:

– genuine operational independence for electoral management bodies;

– transparent voter registration and results transmission;

– effective regulation of campaign finance;

– strong punishment for electoral violence and vote buying;

– transparent party primaries;

– rapid and credible resolution of electoral disputes; and

– continuous civic education.

Political parties must also become genuine institutions of democratic recruitment rather than platforms through which political influence and financial power determine who obtains public office.

3. MAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY CONTINUOUS

Public office is a public trust.

A government should not be accountable only at the next election. Citizens must be able to know how public resources are collected, budgeted, procured and spent throughout the life of an administration.

Effective governance therefore requires mechanisms such as:

– open and transparent budgeting;

– electronic procurement systems;

– independent auditing;

– accessible public financial information;

– asset declaration and verification;

– effective whistle-blower protection;

– legislative oversight;

– strong anti-corruption institutions; and

– timely prosecution of proven wrongdoing.

The greatest weakness in many African states is not necessarily the absence of laws. It is the inconsistent implementation of those laws.

Nigeria therefore needs to move from a culture of reaction to corruption to a system of prevention, detection and predictable enforcement.

A credible anti-corruption system must also be impartial. The law must not be used as a weapon against political opponents while political allies are protected from accountability.

4. GUARANTEE JUSTICE AND EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

There can be no sustainable peace where citizens believe that justice belongs to the wealthy and powerful.

The rule of law must mean that the politician, businessman, civil servant, traditional ruler, security officer and ordinary citizen are subject to the same legal principles.

Justice systems must therefore be independent, accessible, affordable and reasonably expeditious.

Nigeria’s challenge of prolonged litigation demonstrates why judicial reform must become a governance priority. Delayed justice weakens public confidence and can encourage citizens to seek alternative and sometimes violent methods of resolving disputes.

Traditional and community-based mechanisms can also complement formal justice systems, provided that they operate within constitutional safeguards and respect fundamental rights.

Rwanda provides an important historical example. Following the 1994 genocide, the country employed community-based Gacaca courts alongside formal institutions as part of a broader effort to process an enormous number of cases and promote reconciliation. The Rwandan experience should not be copied mechanically, but it demonstrates the potential importance of community-level mechanisms in post-conflict justice and reconciliation.

The lesson for Nigeria is that justice must be brought closer to the people while maintaining due process and constitutional protections.

5. DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL, EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE SECURITY INSTITUTIONS

Peace cannot exist without security, but security without accountability can itself become a source of instability.

African governments need security institutions capable of preventing terrorism, organised crime, trafficking, banditry, communal violence and cross-border criminality.

For Nigeria, this requires stronger intelligence coordination, modern communication systems, effective border management, mobility, forensic capability, personnel training and improved welfare.

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, Armed Forces and other relevant security agencies must have the institutional capacity to protect the country’s territorial integrity and its citizens.

However, professional security does not mean unlimited security power.

Security agencies must operate within the law, respect fundamental rights and remain politically neutral. Reports of abuses by security and law-enforcement agencies can undermine public confidence and deepen grievances; Nigeria’s governance assessments have specifically identified security challenges and alleged abuses as significant concerns.

The appropriate mechanism is therefore security with accountability.

6. PROMOTE INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE AND NATIONAL COHESION

Exclusion is one of the major drivers of political instability.

Where citizens believe that ethnicity, religion, region, gender, political affiliation or social connections determine access to public opportunities, national cohesion is weakened.

Nigeria’s diversity should be transformed from a source of political competition into an asset for national development.

Federal character and equitable representation remain important constitutional considerations, but they should operate alongside competence, integrity and professional capacity.

The objective should not be to appoint people merely because they come from different parts of the country. The objective should be to ensure that every part of the country has a fair sense of belonging while the nation retains competent institutions.

Inclusive governance must therefore combine:

representation + competence + equity + integrity + accountability.

7. INSTITUTIONALISE RESPONSIBLE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

Good governance begins with the character of leadership.

A leader who regards public office as an avenue for personal enrichment, political revenge or permanent domination will eventually weaken institutions.

Africa therefore needs political cultures that reward leaders for delivering public value rather than merely winning elections.

Political leaders should be evaluated according to measurable outcomes:

– jobs created;

– schools improved;

– healthcare delivered;

– infrastructure completed;

– security enhanced;

– investment attracted;

– poverty reduced; and

– institutions strengthened.

The greatest test of a leader is not how he or she treats supporters, but how the leader treats critics, opponents and ordinary citizens without political influence.

Nigeria needs to move from a culture of political loyalty without accountability to a culture of performance-based leadership.

8. USE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A PEACE-BUILDING MECHANISM

Poverty and exclusion create conditions in which criminality, extremism, political violence and social unrest can flourish.

Economic policy must therefore be treated as part of the architecture of peace.

Nigeria’s enormous agricultural potential, solid minerals, manufacturing capacity, digital economy, creative industries and renewable-energy resources provide opportunities for economic diversification.

The objective should be to move from an economy heavily dependent on crude oil revenues to an economy driven by multiple productive sectors.

Botswana offers an important lesson in natural-resource governance. Its diamond wealth did not automatically guarantee development; the country’s relative success was also associated with institutions and policies that enabled resource revenues to contribute to national development.

Nigeria’s challenge is therefore not merely to discover or exploit resources, but to establish mechanisms that ensure resource wealth is converted into broad-based development.

9. MAKE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT A NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY

Africa’s youthful population is both a demographic opportunity and a potential source of instability.

Young people who have education, employment, entrepreneurship opportunities and a sense of belonging can become the continent’s greatest development resource.

Conversely, prolonged unemployment, poverty and exclusion can make young people vulnerable to criminal networks, violent extremism, political thuggery and destructive mobilisation.

Youth empowerment should therefore not be treated merely as a welfare programme.

It should be regarded as economic policy, social policy and national security policy simultaneously.

Nigeria should expand vocational education, apprenticeships, technology training, agricultural enterprise, creative industries, start-up financing and access to markets.

The objective should be to move young Nigerians from being recipients of government programmes to becoming producers, entrepreneurs, professionals and employers.

10. STRENGTHEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE

Good governance must be visible at the grassroots.

Citizens should not encounter government only during elections. They should experience government through functioning schools, primary healthcare centres, roads, water supply, sanitation, agricultural support and local economic opportunities.

Nigeria’s local-government system requires particular attention. The 2024 Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutional autonomy of local government councils has intensified the national debate over grassroots governance and fiscal independence.

The appropriate mechanism should include:

– predictable and transparent funding;

– accountable local government administration;

– transparent local procurement;

– community participation;

– public disclosure of projects and expenditures;

– citizen monitoring; and

– stronger local electoral accountability.

Democracy becomes meaningful when citizens can identify tangible improvements in their own communities.

11. PROTECT THE PRESS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND CIVIC SPACE

A government that cannot tolerate criticism will eventually lose touch with reality.

The press, civil society organisations, academics, professional associations and community organisations provide mechanisms through which citizens can question government decisions and expose wrongdoing.

Freedom must, however, be accompanied by professional responsibility. Deliberate misinformation, incitement, hate speech and fabricated allegations can also threaten peace.

The appropriate balance is therefore not freedom versus responsibility, but freedom with responsibility.

Nigeria’s vibrant media environment is an important democratic asset, but concerns regarding harassment of journalists and restrictions affecting civic space demonstrate the need for continued institutional protection of legitimate journalism and civic participation.

12. INTRODUCE SYSTEMATIC CIVIC EDUCATION

Good governance cannot be sustained by governments alone.

Citizens must understand their constitutional rights, civic responsibilities and the long-term consequences of political choices.

The culture of:

“What will I get from this politician?”

must gradually become:

“What kind of society are we building?”

Vote buying is sustained partly because poverty makes immediate inducements attractive. Ethnic and religious mobilisation is sustained when citizens allow identity to replace policy in political decision-making.

Civic education should therefore begin in schools and continue through universities, media organisations, civil society, traditional institutions and community structures.

An informed citizenry is one of the strongest mechanisms for preventing bad governance.

13. ESTABLISH EARLY-WARNING AND CONFLICT-PREVENTION SYSTEMS

Governments should not wait until violence has erupted before responding to instability.

Effective peacebuilding requires early-warning mechanisms capable of detecting:

– communal tensions;

– political violence;

– hate speech;

– population displacement;

– competition over land and natural resources;

– religious tensions;

– youth mobilisation;

– organised criminal activity; and

– economic grievances.

Traditional rulers, religious leaders, community organisations, women, youth representatives, security agencies and civil society should be integrated into local early-warning networks.

The African Union and regional organisations should also strengthen continental and regional early-warning systems.

Prevention is cheaper, faster and more humane than post-conflict reconstruction.

14. STRENGTHEN REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL COOPERATION

Modern security threats do not respect national boundaries.

Terrorism, trafficking, illegal migration, arms smuggling, organised crime, cybercrime and violent extremism operate across borders.

Nigeria therefore cannot secure its territory by acting alone.

The country must strengthen cooperation with neighbouring states and institutions such as the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union through intelligence sharing, coordinated border management, joint security operations, conflict prevention and diplomatic engagement.

The resurgence of coups and democratic reversals in parts of Africa demonstrates the importance of stronger regional mechanisms for defending constitutional government. Recent assessments also point to the deterioration of democratic space in several African countries, while noting that countries such as Botswana and Ghana continue to demonstrate the possibility of relatively resilient democratic governance.

Africa must increasingly develop African solutions to African problems while maintaining constructive partnerships with the international community.

15. MANAGE NATURAL RESOURCES TRANSPARENTLY AND FAIRLY

Natural resources should finance development, not conflict.

Oil-producing communities, mining communities and other resource-producing areas must see legitimate benefits from the resources extracted from their environment.

Resource governance should therefore include:

– transparent licensing;

– competitive procurement;

– environmental protection;

– community participation;

– revenue transparency;

– effective taxation;

– responsible corporate conduct; and

– measurable development outcomes.

Nigeria’s experience with oil demonstrates that resource wealth without effective governance can coexist with poverty, environmental degradation, insecurity and social grievances.

The objective must be to transform natural resources into human capital, infrastructure, industrialisation and intergenerational wealth.

16. BUILD A CULTURE OF PEACE THROUGH TRADITIONAL, RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS

Peace cannot be produced exclusively from government offices.

Africa possesses traditional institutions, religious organisations and community leadership structures with considerable influence over local populations.

Traditional rulers and religious leaders can play important roles in mediation, reconciliation, peace education, community mobilisation and early warning.

Nigeria should therefore develop structured mechanisms through which traditional institutions, religious leaders, civil society and government agencies can jointly address emerging conflicts.

This should not replace constitutional government. Rather, it should complement formal institutions by bringing peacebuilding closer to communities.

17. MEASURE GOVERNANCE BY OUTCOMES, NOT POLITICAL SPEECHES

One of Africa’s persistent governance problems is the gap between policy announcements and actual implementation.

Governments frequently announce ambitious programmes, but citizens are often unable to determine whether promised results have been achieved.

Governance should therefore be measured through transparent performance indicators.

The World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, for example, assess governance through dimensions including voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption.

African countries can complement such international indicators with national performance dashboards that allow citizens to monitor:

– public expenditure;

– project completion;

– employment;

– school enrolment;

– healthcare outcomes;

– poverty reduction;