Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern about the practice of democracy in Nigeria and across parts of Africa, wondering if it is truly delivering economic growth and good governance.
Mr Jonathan spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the national convening and launch of a research report by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), titled “Strengthening the nexus between democracy and economic growth in Nigeria.”
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He said democracy is facing increasing strain globally due to economic hardship, insecurity and declining trust in institutions, insisting that the system must produce tangible results to retain public trust.
“Global history across the world shows that democracy is under increasing strain. It is challenged by economic hardship, social pressures, insecurity and a growing distrust in institutions,” he said. “In Africa, these pressures are further reflected in contested elections, democratic backsliding and rising instability.”
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The former president said the long-held assumption that democracy naturally leads to economic growth has not been sufficiently examined within Nigeria’s realities, raising concerns about its effectiveness as a development model.
Mr Jonathan compared democratic systems with non-democratic models that have recorded significant economic progress, citing examples from the Middle East and Asia.
“Sometimes, i ask myself, can we really see that democracy will lead to better governance than other forms of government, like what we see in the Arab world, the monarchies?” he said. “
He also referenced China’s rapid development, noting that its governance structure, though not a pure democracy, has produced remarkable economic outcomes.
“The improvement process in China is almost second to none,” he said. “Can we truly say that our democracy is close to that?”
Despite these concerns, Mr Jonathan identified freedom and justice as the core pillars that make democracy desirable, stressing that citizens must be free to express opinions and associate without fear of victimisation, while justice must not be manipulated.
He warned that once these elements are eroded, the system ceases to be truly democratic.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by his Special Adviser on General Duties, Aliyu Madibbo, said democracy must go beyond elections and focus on improving citizens’ welfare.
He noted that the relationship between democracy and economic growth is neither automatic nor guaranteed, warning that a democratic order can lose public confidence when institutions are weak and economic dysfunction makes hope too expensive for the average household.
He defended the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, describing them as necessary steps to stabilise the economy.
“President Tinubu came into office at a time when the economy was weighed down by structural distortions that had become too costly to ignore,” he said. “The fuel subsidy regime had become a heavy fiscal burden and a channel of waste and abuse. The foreign exchange system had been badly distorted.”
Mr Madibbo acknowledged the hardship caused by the reforms but insisted they were necessary.
He added that government must balance tough economic decisions with empathy and clear communication.
“Public frustration is not an inconvenience to be dismissed. It is a signal that policy must be accompanied by clarity, trust and visible pathways to relief,” he said. “Reform cannot endure on technical merit alone; it must be explained with sincerity and implemented with fairness.”
Earlier, the foundation’s Executive Director, Ann Iyonu, said Nigeria’s democracy has not delivered expected dividends despite nearly three decades of civilian rule.
“Twenty-seven years after Nigeria’s return to civilian rule, the promise of democracy has remained largely unfulfilled due to widespread poverty, fiscal indiscipline and rampant procurement fraud,” she said.
She stressed that democracy should be assessed by outcomes, not just electoral processes.
Ms Iyonu identified weak enforcement of laws as Nigeria’s core governance challenge.
“What we have as Nigerians is not an absence of laws or agencies; our challenge is enforcement,” she said. “Democracy is good for our economy when institutions uphold their own rules, when fiscal discipline is real, when procurement is transparent and when audits lead to action.”
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She added that the report presents a practical roadmap for reform.
In his remarks, Governance Adviser at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Matthew Ayebakuro, said citizens’ confidence in democracy depends largely on whether it delivers economic benefits.
He emphasised that democracy must be developmental in practice to endure.
“At the same time, democracy must be developmental in practice, not just procedural in form, if it is to retain public trust,” he said.
Mr Ayebakuro commended Mr Jonathan and the foundation for advancing dialogue on governance and development, expressing hope that the report would guide policymakers and stakeholders.
