History of Democracy in Nigeria and when did Nigeria became a Republic?

As Nigeria remains a developing nation, it simply means there are so many aspect of the country that needs to be improved. It ranges from economy to general standard of living. Changes are very important for political, economic, and social development. Since Nigeria became a democratic nation, positive changes are obvious. In this post,we shall history of Democracy in Nigeriaand also a bit of its origin.

There is no country in the world that is perfect in all ramifications. Nations are constantly learning how to tolerate, stay out of corruption practices, choose the right leaders and plan for the future. These tasks are not easy as most people presume, and being a republic is not easy. Many people have asked the question, when did Nigeria became a republic?Read on, and get all the information you need.

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Origin of Democracy

The term “democracy” can be traced to a Greek origin. It simply means a rule of the people. The term democracy was first mentioned about 2,500 years ago in the cities of Greece. At that period, it was the opposite to aristocracy form of government. The modern type of democracy was developed in the 19^th an 20^th centuries. Democratic form of government has been the latest trend across the world since the 1970s. A lot of countries across the world has been benefiting from these type of government, and Nigeria is not an exception in that list. That is why in this post we shall also be looking at the history of Democracy in Nigeria.

Must read: Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria 

When did Nigeria Became a Republic?

May 29^th of every year is declared “Democracy Day” in Nigeria, and it also a public holiday. The whole thing started from the year1999, when Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as the first democratically elected President of Nigeria. Nevertheless, the democracy story in Nigeria can be traced to the year 1960. It was in on the 1^st of October 1960, when Nigeria publicly announced her independence from Great Britain, and it officially became a republic. After independence, Nigeria has practiced different forms of government until it eventually became a democratic nation. Read below and see the main stages and dates of the history of Democracy in Nigeria.

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History of Democracy in Nigeria

After Nigeria gained independence in the year 1960, the country experienced its first military coup in the year 1966. The civil war then broke out in 1967 and lasted all through 1970. It was then possible to restore the democratic model for a couple of years in 1978. The regime did not last long as it was overtaken by a coup in the year 1983.

At the early years of Nigeria after its independence, the country has experienced series of military coups. Many of the Military Head of State promised to restore democracy to Nigeria, but only General Abdulsalami Abubakar who took power after Sani Abacha kept fulfilled his promise. Nigeria’s modern constitution became official in the year 1999.

Must read: Types of Citizenship in Nigeria

The new democratically elected President; Olusegun Obasanjo put an end to the military regimes that keeps switching form one military officer to the other for nearly 30 years. Presently in Nigeria, democracy is been celebrated yearly on May 29^th. Though it is obvious that the country still have many hurdles to scale through,Nigerians at large are envisaging a bright and prosperous future with better economy, improved standard of living, and security. This sums up the history of Democracy in Nigeria in just one few paragraphs.