BOTTOM-UP PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PERCEPTIONS IN NIGERIAS CROSS-ETHNIC STATES OF IMO AND AKWA-IBOM

In the midst of claims to democracy and participatory governance in most countries of the world, this paper examines the link between participatory governance and sustainable development to determine the type of participatory governance that is perceived to be the appropriate form of true democracy for achievement of sustainable development, and at what level (s) of government, in the two cross-ethnic states of Imo and Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria. In pursuit of these objectives, the study assumes that if participatory governance is a viable strategy for achievement of sustainable development, it cannot be imposed on the people. Thus, using a descriptive-survey design, the paper is based on a study of a randomly selected sample of 904 indigenes/residents of the two cross-ethnic states. Blending descriptive and correlational analyses, the study found that in Imo and Akwa Ibom States, which are southern (south-east and south-south) states of Nigeria characterized by their decentralized (relatively more democratic) traditional political structure: 1. The people prefer the Bottom-Up Community-Grown Participatory Governance more than the Top-Down Participatory Governance. 2. The Bottom-Up Community-Grown Participatory Governance is perceived by the people as a form of True Participatory Democracy at the Local Government Level only. 3. The Bottom-Up Community-Grown Participatory Governance is perceived by the people as a preferred type of Participatory (True) Democracy for achievement of Sustainable Development. Accordingly, the paper recommends: 1. Given that Nigeria is a heterogeneous multi-ethnic nation, the scope of this study should be expanded nationwide to cover the northern and south-western states of Nigeria that are characterized by the centralized traditional political structure. Expanding the scope of the study nationwide will enable the formulation of a democratically viable sustainable development policy in Nigeria. 2. The Bottom-Up Community-Grown Participatory Governance (COMPAG) system should be test-driven in some local government areas of Imo and Akwa Ibom states, to replace the current representative democracy at the local government level only, to support and facilitate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2016-2030) in Nigeria. ________________________________ Participatory Governance, Sustainable Development, Democracy, Participatory Democracy, Good Governance.