Insecurity and Democratic Governance in Nigeria: An Empirical Assessment of Their Influence on Democratic Participation in Public Service Delivery

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between insecurity, democratic governance and public service delivery in Imo State, Nigeria. The study was guided by four research questions which focused on the types of insecurity experienced in the State, the extent to which insecurity affects citizens' participation in democratic activities, the extent to which insecurity affects the provision and accessibility of public services, and the relationship between insecurity and democratic governance. A descriptive and correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 1,234 government teachers in 325 public secondary schools in Imo State, from which a sample of 600 government teachers was selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Insecurity, Democratic Governance and Public Service Delivery Questionnaire (IDGPSDQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Political Science, Public Administration, Measurement and Evaluation, and Security Studies, while a Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.70 was obtained. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The findings revealed that fear and perceived insecurity was the most prominent form of insecurity experienced, with a mean score of 3.42, followed by terrorism/insurgency (3.07), political violence (3.03), kidnapping/banditry (3.00) and communal conflict (2.85). The findings further showed that insecurity affects citizens' participation in democratic activities to a high extent, with mean scores ranging from 2.96 to 3.34. Similarly, insecurity was found to affect the provision and accessibility of public services to a high extent, with mean scores ranging from 2.85 to 3.34. However, the correlational analysis revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between insecurity and democratic governance The study concludes that although insecurity is perceived to substantially affect democratic participation and public service delivery, the data established a statistically significant linear relationship between the overall measures of insecurity and democratic governance. It was therefore recommended that government strengthen community-based security mechanisms, protect electoral and civic spaces, improve the security of public institutions and infrastructure, and adopt integrated security and governance strategies to improve citizens' confidence and access to public services.