The Politics of Development Strategies in Nigeria Since Independence: An Overview

This paper is an overview of the development strategies in Nigeria since independence. The paper discovered and observed that the politics of non-continuity and lack of accountability in public policies and programmes in Nigeria since independence as the major reasons of non-actualisation of these development strategies. The study relied essentially on secondary data, while personal observation was equally employed as a method of data generalization. Content analysis was used as a method of data analysis. Based on the data collected and analysed, the paper submits that the politics of non-continuity and lack of accountability of development policies and programmes hampered Nigeria development strategies. The commonest testimonies of these observations and findings are that the wide spread expectation, interest and debate exhibited before and after the inauguration of a government or administration is dampened because of the politics of non-continuity and lack of accountability. The study essentially recommends that government policies and programmes that are people-centred and people-oriented should be enhanced and continued as to create the greatest happiness for the greatest number.