Elitism, Organised Labour and Good Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

Over the years, there has been an "us and them" relationship between Nigerians and their government at all levels, as a consequence of the elitist character of the Nigerian state. Nigerians are thus alienated from the government and the political class from the masses. An effective participant political culture is therefore lacking and the masses are rendered incapable of advancing alternative viewpoints even when policies and actions of government are glaringly anti-people. Against this background of elitism, this study interrogates the efficacy of organised labour as a platform for participation and opposition, to input good governance in the system. Built around the elite theory of politics, the study relied on data generated from a field survey of the leadership of the Nigerian labour movement and analysed with the tools of tables and multiple regression analysis. The study concludes that within this context of elitism and the concomitant hostility in government - labour relations, the potentials of organised labour to contribute to good governance in Nigeria is only partially realised. The study also suggests that the labour leadership needs to always carry along the rank and file members of their unions as well as the popular masses to enhance its capacity to contribute significantly to the evolution of a true, transparent and accountable democracy in the country.