Human Rights, Democracy and Community Development: The Need for a Nexus of the Concepts in Nigeria’s Development Process

Abstract

The concepts of human rights, democracy and development as well as community development will ever remain most paramount in the affairs of all nations which cherish liberty and good governance. At present, there is virtually no facet of any diplomatic interactions between one sovereign nation and the other which is not founded on the internationally accepted principles of human rights, democracy and community development. Having passed through many years of agonizing, undemocratic and dehumanizing military regimes; Nigerians have come to realize that genuine concern for human rights and democracy is a viable option for attaining effective community development that is well-recognized by international communities. Unfortunately, this realization is now being manifested in the affairs of Nigeria very much in theory rather than in practice. The meaning and relevance of human rights, democracy and development as well as community development as legal and socio-political concepts, the nexus between them and practical problems besetting their effective application in Nigeria, constitute the core of this work.

Keywords: Human Rights, Democracy, Community, Development, Liberty, Good Governance.