Leadership and Challenges of Development in Nigeria Fourth Republic

ABSTRACTNigeria's Fourth Republic, established in 1999, has been marked by democratic governance, but the country still grapples with significant development challenges. This study explores the complex relationship between leadership and development in Nigeria, focusing on the obstacles that have hindered the country's progress. The research examines the impact of leadership on development outcomes, including economic growth, poverty reduction, education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and security. It identifies key challenges such as corruption, poor governance, political instability, and weak institutional capacity, which have undermined Nigeria's development efforts. The authors argue that effective leadership is crucial to addressing these challenges and promoting sustainable development in Nigeria. They propose a transformative leadership approach that prioritizes human capital development, economic diversification, good governance, and inclusive decision-making. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for leadership renewal and reforms in Nigeria, highlighting the importance of visionary, accountable, and inclusive leadership in unlocking the country's development potential. The research examines the impact of leadership on development outcomes, including economic growth, poverty reduction, education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and security. It identifies key challenges such as: Corruption, poor governance, political instability, insecurity and many more. The findings and recommendations of this research are relevant not only to Nigeria but also to other developing countries facing similar development challenges.