CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD

The civil society organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria have come to play crucial roles in returning the country to civil rule. Since then, it ensured that the state is checkmated while at the same time help to realize the dividends of democracy and sustainable development. Substantially, these roles of civil society in democratization and consolidation processes have not been quantitatively and qualitatively realized in dealing with issues of urgent national importance confronting the country. Within the framework of political participation and state-society relation theories, an eclectic approach, the paper examined issues of civil society and the role it can play in democratic consolidation. It argued that the character of civil society engagement with the state has not altered the socio-political and economic condition of Nigerians. The CSOs in the country are more reactive than proactive due to daunting challenges of leadership, internal democracy, autonomy, finance and cohesion which have affected the manner it conflates and or co-operates with the state and society at large. Drawing experience from the globalized era, it is the position of the paper that to make reasonable contributions towards democratic consolidation in Nigeria, CSOs should as key indicators of democratic audit, ensure effective internal democracy, improve its capacity, funding and autonomy, and maintain cohesion necessary for collective actions, among other measures.