Between Military Resistance and Democratic Consolidation Epochs: Is Nigeria’s Civil Society Still Vibrant or Docile?

This paper interrogates the historical role of the civil society in Nigeria’s political trajectory spanning through two fundamental epochs—military and democratic. Drawing inferences from a number of historical and comparative approaches, it argues that there is a seeming lull in civil society activism in Nigeria, since its return to democratic rule in 1999. This complacency, the paper argues, appears inextricably linked to Nigeria’s prevailing social, political and economic environment, in contrast to what obtained under military rule. The paper concludes with suggestions on how the civil society can contribute meaningfully to the country’s attempt towards democratic consolidation.