Good Governance and Well-being

Abstract

This study is undertaken to examine good governance and well-being of the masses with a view to ascertaining the extent to which good governance impact on the well-being of citizens of Nigeria as a case study. In order to carry out an indebt study on the topic, the researcher employed survey design, using secondary source for data collection. Structural- functionalist theory was adopted as the framework of analysis.  In the course of investigation, different indices of good governance, as presented by the United Nations Public Administration and the UNDP 1997, were highlighted.  The level of the effect of those indices of good governance on the well-being of the masses was also discussed. Whenever the word “democracy” is mentioned, people perceive it as a synonym to good governance and well-being of the masses. Of course, that is what it is supposed to be. Unfortunately, however, it has not always been so. It was discovered after investigations that the type of democratic governance being practiced today in Nigeria is such that the well-being of Nigeria citizens is far from being met. The major challenges to the attainment of high level of well-being are: insecurity, corruption/mismanagement of the nation’s resources by the ruling class, non-observance of the rule of law, and lack the provision of basic necessities of live to the citizens, just to mention a few. It is therefore recommended that our politicians should rise up to the challenges inhibiting good governance, as this will usher in the well-being of the masses in Nigeria, if tackled properly.