Reflections on citizens filling in the gap by doing the government’s work
I recently watched a video that struck a deep chord. It was one of those feel-good stories: Asherkine, a social media influencer, and a forex trading company visited a small community in Jos, Plateau State. They came bearing gifts — food, school supplies, scholarships, and they even renovated the local school. As if that weren’t enough, they also commissioned a borehole to provide potable water to the community, which had apparently gone without one for who knows how long.
It was hard to miss the overwhelming joy in the eyes of the villagers. They danced and sang, grateful for the intervention. But as I watched, a question nagged at me: Where is the local government in all this? Shouldn’t these be basic services provided by the state? Why did it take a stranger to ensure the children had a proper school and the community had drinking water? What exactly is the government doing?
This isn’t an isolated incident. Across Nigeria, countless communities and individuals rely on private interventions — donations from companies, charitable acts from individuals, and religious organizations stepping in to fill gaps where the government has failed. We see it all the time, and while it’s heartwarming to witness people coming together to help one another, it also highlights the gaping hole left by those elected to serve the interests of the people.
The economic situation in Nigeria has worsened for many, making it harder for people to access necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare. The cost of living has skyrocketed, and wages and salaries simply haven’t kept pace. Let’s not even talk about people who don’t have work. Yet, amidst all of this, it’s the average citizen, corporate body, or religious group that steps in to provide social services.
Take, for example, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes. While these initiatives are meant to complement government efforts, they have increasingly become substitutes for the services that local and state governments should be delivering. Churches have food banks and companies are renovating schools. Meanwhile, there are allocations for some of these things that organisations focus on. A friend shared how his company donated transformers to a community to connect them to the national grid. This is standard practice across many communities and the government, which should have provided such infrastructure, is often nowhere to be found. In some cases, politicians even take credit for these corporate interventions, showing up to cut ribbons or claim they “facilitated” the donation. It’s an irony that doesn’t escape the residents, but there’s little they can do. Their priority is to get by, whether the government helps or not.
The Nigerian Constitution clearly outlines that the government at all levels — federal, state, and local — has the responsibility to provide basic services such as education, healthcare, water, and electricity. These are not privileges but rights of every citizen. Yet, for reasons ranging from corruption to poor management, the government often fails to deliver.
Instead of pushing for accountability, many citizens have accepted this failure and turned to self-reliance or external help. Communities crowdfund to build roads, install streetlights, and even fix healthcare facilities. While these efforts are commendable, they are also unsustainable as individuals and companies can only do so much. At the end of the day, the responsibility lies with the government to ensure that its citizens live with dignity. It’s easy to understand why citizens step in when the government has failed — they simply have no choice. But why has the government failed so spectacularly in many areas?
For one, corruption continues to siphon resources that could be used for development projects. Funds allocated for infrastructure often disappear before they reach the communities they are meant to serve. Mismanagement and a lack of accountability compound the problem. Public officials may divert resources to pet projects which are sometimes not even in tandem with the actual needs of the communities, while necessities like water, healthcare, and education go unmet. Moreover, the political will to prioritize grassroots development often seems lacking. Governments at both state and local levels may focus on high-profile projects that show they are working to amass immediate political gains, ignoring the less glamorous, yet crucial, responsibilities like maintaining schools or ensuring access to clean water.
So, how can citizens ensure their governments fulfil their duties? One of the most effective ways is through advocacy and organized pressure. Civil society organizations play a crucial role in demanding accountability, and citizens can join or support these groups. Engaging in local politics is another way to hold leaders accountable. By attending community meetings, voicing concerns, and voting for representatives who prioritize essential services, citizens can push for real change. I know someone will say: We have done these things and nothing has changed but the reality is we need to keep up the pressure. Change will not come overnight and it is often never handed over with kumbaya. I recall watching a viral video of a community somewhere in South America that punished a political leader who came to campaign for re-election after he had done nothing for the community in his first tenure. I am not asking us to take the law into our hands but we must ensure that failed government officials do not succeed in returning to office.
Social media has also become a powerful tool for advocacy. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook give citizens a voice and allow them to raise awareness about the failures of government. When enough people speak up, it becomes harder for those in power to ignore their demands. I recall a few years ago when a popular blogger regularly published articles about the state of a particular road in a community she wasn’t even living in at the time, it didn’t take long before the state government got to work on that road. Her platform brought about the change that everyone desired. Such campaigns, either by individuals or groups, show that sustained pressure from citizens can lead to reforms.
At the heart of it, governments should focus on providing the services that citizens cannot or should not provide for themselves. Clean water, electricity, healthcare, and education should be guaranteed, not treated as luxuries. Local governments, in particular, must be more proactive in identifying and addressing the needs of their communities. One area where improvement is critical is transparency. Governments should adopt open budgeting systems, where citizens can see exactly how funds are allocated and spent. Citizens should also be able to query expenditures without fear. Additionally, anti-corruption measures must be enforced, ensuring that those who steal public resources face real consequences.
We can all agree that it’s heartwarming to see citizens, corporations, and religious bodies stepping up to help others when the government has failed but this should not be the norm. The government has a responsibility to its people, and citizens must demand accountability. Instead of becoming accustomed to doing the government’s job, we should push for a system that works for everyone. Only then can we ensure that no community is left behind, waiting for the kindness of strangers to bring them the services they deserve. Let’s hold our leaders accountable. Let’s demand more. This is the way I see things today.