Leadership Style in Nigerian Essay Example

To What Extent will you argue that the leadership Style in Nigerian is Ideal?

The word leadership does not have a definite definition, it can define as a body of elected or chosen people who uses their leadership skills and ideas to direct and lead the activities of a group towards an achieving the goals of that specific group (Ekpe, Mat, & Adelaiye, 2017). Leadership usually has a bearing on the social, political and economic status of a country. It is usually measured by how the country is doing economically. Most developed countries which have robust and visionary kind of leadership have succeeded in all sectors of their economy. Most African countries are still experiencing the troubles brought by poor leadership (Ekpe, Mat, & Adelaiye, 2017). Among these countries is Nigeria which despite being blessed by a lot of natural resources still has a poor economy.

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Nigeria is a democratic state situated on the west coast of Africa. It has been divided into thirty-six states. Its capital city is called Abuja. It has the highest population in Africa standing at approximately 200 million.53% of these population are women, men forms 47% percent of the population. With such a large population, a good leadership is required to run the country of this nature. There is a scarce resource which needs to be managed appropriately so that the economy can grow (Emuwa & Fields, 2017). When it comes to leadership, there are many things involved considering the number of people who are being served. It is challenging to determine or to assess the viability of leadership especially when there are many sectors of the economy which are led by different individuals.

Leadership is about delivering to the people. It should be balanced, visionary and dedicated kind. In Nigeria, there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor. This is a sign of poor leadership. A good leader will always ensure that there is an equal distribution of resources all over the country (Ekpe, Mat, & Adelaiye, 2017). In Nigeria, there are few rich people despite the available natural resources like oil. It is paradoxical that a country which is ranked the eighth largest oil exporter in the world has 70% of its population still living under poverty level. In this country, there is no problem with the land, water, climate and the resources instead it is the unwillingness and failure of people in power to perform (Emuwa & Fields, 2017). Leaders in this country show a lot of humility and empathy towards the masses when they are campaigning but when they rise to power, they become total strangers and some of them even disappear after elections until their term ends.

Nigeria is considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world; in fact, they have been on top of the list for almost a decade. Different leaders have been in power yet nothing has changed. This is an indication that leadership is reluctant to eradicate corruption. This has affected the economy badly, even the prices of oil in Nigeria are still high yet they are the highest oil exporting nation. The political structure in Nigeria is not based on ideas like in other developed countries like the United States of America (Ekpe, Mat, & Adelaiye, 2017). It is based on ethnicity and political deception. This has resulted in unqualified people climbing the ladder of leadership over the years.

Considering social, economic and political challenges facing the Nigerians even after over 60 years of independence, it can easily be concluded that leadership in Nigeria has failed. The economy of Nigeria is not doing well despite the availability of one the most precious resource like oil. All the sectors in Nigeria have shown inconsistencies over the years due to poor leadership. When the economy of Nigeria is compared to that of a country like Israel whose land is not as productive as that of Nigeria, it is shocking to discover that Nigeria is doing worse yet they have the best of everything (Emuwa & Fields, 2017). Nigerian leaders lack patriotism and conscience. Their words portray a patriot but their actions do not reflect on what they are telling the citizens. With good leadership, Nigeria can become one of the most developed economies in the world.

List and Explain Five Reasons Why Nigerians Prefer Male President?

According to the latest census report, the population of women is higher than that of men in Nigeria. Considering this fact, if women are to vote for a woman candidate, they are likely to succeed but this is not the case in Nigeria. Since independence, Nigeria has never had a female president despite the high population of women in the country. It is believed that the general population still believes that only a male president can deliver (Emuwa & Fields, 2017). Women have not had the opportunity to lead even after almost 68 years of independence. There are many reasons why people still take this stand. The presidency is still considered a male job and only those who portray courage.

In Nigeria, women are believed to be reluctant when it comes to matters of politics. They do not participate seriously like their male counterparts. In this country, only two women have tried to contest for a presidential position; one is Sarah Jubril and another one is Prof. Remi Shaniya of the KOWA Party. The candidature of both was deemed as a joke because they showed lack of ambition. Leadership is all about participation, only a few women turn up to register and even during voting days, a few also turns up. This, therefore, gives a perception that women in Nigeria have not shown the required courage and determination to lead (Lituchy, Galperin, & Punnett, 2016).

In Nigeria, a male child is still considered a source of pride and honor. They are still regarded as the heads of families. Such a belief has had an impact in the political arena. Men still think that they cannot be led by a woman hence they will always prefer a male president even if they do not the right qualities. A married woman regardless of how much wealth they have are still subservient to their husbands, even educated women are down in the hierarchy after their husbands. Major decisions in the family are made by men (Babalola, Stouten, Euwema, & Ovadje, 2016). A woman is supposed to consult the husband before they embark on a responsibility for taking a leadership role and whatever the husband decides will stand no matter how important the motive was for the wife.

A survey indicates that more men usually participate in civic activities as compared to women. These activities give people the opportunity to express views and to resolve issues. When it comes to such matters, women are known to relent; they seem to have a perception that such important matters should be left to men (Lituchy, Galperin, & Punnett, 2016). This gives people a perception that women are not capable of taking serious leadership roles hence leaving them with no choice but to prefer a group which always rise to the occasion whenever there are serious matters to discuss or to decide on. It is up to women to start adjusting their behavior and attitude in order for them to succeed in matters to do with politics. They need show their capabilities by standing out whenever they are expected to (Emuwa & Fields, 2017).

Men have some qualities which only a few women have. These qualities are considered vital when it comes to leading a nation. Men are considered aggressive, self-centered and courageous. These are some of the most important qualities which are considered best for a president. Women are considered to be emotional and hence when hard times arise, they are considered incapable of leading (Babalola, Stouten, Euwema, & Ovadje, 2016). People believe that women have not been created to deal with such demanding jobs since they are not as tough as men. There are many challenges facing leaders concerning the social, political and economic structure of a nation. Political issues usually have a lot of tricks which may require a tough person to deal with (Babalola, Stouten, Euwema, & Ovadje, 2016). Women have never shown the ability to face difficulties like wars and terrorism. Men have always been considered the protectors while women are considered to be the ones in need of protection. With such perception, it is easy for people to pick a side whenever there is a political contest.

References

Babalola, M. T., Stouten, J., Euwema, M. C., &Ovadje, F. (2016). The relation between ethical leadership and workplace conflicts: The mediating role of employee resolution efficacy. Journal of Management, 0149206316638163.

Ekpe, I., Mat, N., &Adelaiye, M. O. (2017). Leadership skill, leadership style and job commitment among academic staff of Nigerian universities: the moderating effects of employee's attitude and work environment. International Journal of Management in Education, 11(1), 77-93.

Emuwa, A., & Fields, D. (2017). Authentic leadership as a contemporary leadership model applied in Nigeria. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 8(3), 296-313.

Lituchy, T. R., Galperin, B. L., & Punnett, B. J. (2016). LEAD: Leadership effectiveness in Africa and the African Diaspora. Palgrave Macmillan.