Globalisation and Democratisation Process: In Whose Interest? – A Case Study of Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper focuses on the democratisation process in the three selected African countries, namely, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. It examines the fundamental criteria of democracy under global agenda. The paper is of the view that lack of democracy in the developing nations has made rapid development difficult. Furthermore, the clamour for democracy is not in the interest of developing countries, but more so in the interest of Western nations who have capital investment in these countries. Democracy has come to stay in Ghana because the society strives for it and the election process is less corrupt. When compared to Nigerian elections of 2007, Kenyan elections were plagued by corruption and votes were manipulated in favour of President Mwai Kibaki. The last election in Kenya witnessed destruction of lives and properties. In all, though Nigeria and Kenya appreciate the importance of democracy, elite interest makes democracy a mirage. Globalisation agenda has compelled African states to toe the line of Western liberal democracies, because they have no choice. Moreover, it has been observed that political and socioeconomic instability is also a threat to Western massive investment in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, democracy is a warranty against this threat. Finally, the aim of global democracy is not to make African states politically stable but to exploit the states. The entrenched global democracy is skewed in favour of the Western overlord.