Democracy Still Best Form Of Government, Lai Mohammed Tells Cambridge Audience

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most viable system of governance despite its imperfections.

Mohammed made the remark on Wednesday during a high-level interactive session at St John’s College, Cambridge, organised by the Cambridge University Nigeria Society.

The event brought together Nigerian students and scholars in the diaspora for discussions on democracy, governance and development in Nigeria.

Responding to concerns over the effectiveness of democracy in societies with low educational penetration, Mohammed said the real challenge was not equal voting rights but the socio-economic conditions influencing voter behaviour.

He said improving access to education, healthcare and infrastructure, especially in underserved communities, was essential to strengthening democratic outcomes.

Addressing insecurity, the former minister linked insurgency and banditry partly to poverty, lack of education and marginalisation, insisting that military action alone would not resolve the problem.

He called for a balanced strategy combining security operations with non-kinetic measures such as education and economic development.

Mohammed also described communication as central to governance.

“Communication is not a supporting function of governance, it is central to it,” he said. “It is the bridge between the state and its citizens, the system through which policies are explained, legitimacy is built and trust is sustained.”