JOHN STUART MILL’S UTILITARIANISM IN NATION- BUILDING: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA SINCE 1999

Abstract

Humans, by nature, desire happiness. They intrinsically desire nothing that isnot happiness or its part or a means of happiness. Thus, happiness is more or less theoverriding principle of human action and life. However, the character and quality of a societylargely determine its organisation and the form of happiness the citizens seek to enjoy.Regrettably, despite all efforts toward nation-building and development by scholars andsuccessive governments in Nigeria, genuine unity, sustainable development, and indeedhappiness are still a mirage in the lives of most citizens. Hence, the current study hasattempted a critical evaluation of nation-building process within the frame of democraticgovernance in Nigeria‘s Fourth Republic. On the basis of the nation‘s political landscape, thispaper proposes JS Mill‘s utilitarianism as an essential tool for achieving long-lastingsolutions to various challenges associated with democracy, nation-building, development andgenuine happiness of the citizenry. Methodologically, it adopted a documentary method ofdata collection in which relevant information was extracted from textbooks, journal articles,conference papers, etc. Analysis was performed within the ambit of Mill‘s utilitarianprinciples via qualitative content analysis method. The study highlights the gap betweentheoretical ideals and practical governance and how utilitarian principles can inform policydecisions aimed at improving the overall well-being of the population. Thus, it contends thatgenuine application of Mill‘s utilitarianism, offers Nigeria the opportunity to recreate asociety that centres on the value, genuine happiness and prosperity of its people as a nation.