Scope of Citizen Engagement in Public Policy Making, Implementation, and Reforms in Nigeria: A Non-State Actors’ Perspective

The top-down approach to public policymaking and implementation has long dominated the governance systems of many African countries. Among other factors, this is attributable to the long period of military dictatorship and/or the existence of an authoritarian one-party system in many countries on the continent (Obasi & Lekorwe, 2014). Consequently, the culture of citizen engagement has not been well-rooted in the democratic governance system of many African countries. One exceptional case, however, is the Republic of Botswana, where the success is attributable to its inherited traditional Kgotla system – an age-long popular participatory village public gathering or forum used for both political and administrative purposes

Presently, many African countries are at different levels of citizen engagement in their democratic experiences with Mauritius, South Africa, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Tunisia, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone making significant advancements (See 2024 MO Ibrahim Index Report for example). Crucially, however, achieving impactful levels of citizen engagement in the public policymaking process involves sustained efforts and struggle (sometimes long-drawn-out ones) by civil society organisations (CSOs) before deeper and active engagement can be achieved.