POLITICAL LEADERSHIP: AN ALBATROSS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study focused on the “Effect of Political Leadership on National Development: A Study of Enugu State, Nigeria 2015-2022. The study is anchored on three specific objectives. To examine the extent political leadership contributed to improved social amenities; the effect of political leadership on employment creation; the effect of political leadership on agricultural production in Enugu State of Nigeria, 2015-2022. The study applied Elite Theory. It made use of both primary and secondary sources of data. The population of the study was 1,082,692 people of six selected rural local governments in Enugu State, while the sample size of 400 was determined using Taro Yamani formula. The study applied the cluster sampling technique in selecting the sample for the study. Thus, the data collected were presented and analyzed using frequency, percentage and chi-square (????2)analytical tools. The study revealed that political leadership has not contributed to a large extent to improved social amenities in Enugu State. It was discovered that political leadership has significant positive effect on employment creation. The study also found that political leadership has no significant positive effect on agricultural production. In conclusion, the researcher noted that the cause of the woes of Enugu State and Nigeria in general is squarely at the feet of her political leadership. This implied that both past and present generations of Nigerian political leaders have failed in their services to the people of Enugu State, Nigeria.The situation cannot just continue, critical steps such as the recommendations of this study must be taken to avert the reoccurrance. Based on the findings, it recommended the need for political leaders in Enugu State and Nigeria in general to be committed to their words to improve social amenities during their campaign.The need for timely introduction of relevant and modern technologies with adequate provision of necessary farm inputs and logistics to farmers was recommended.