The former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has stated that Nigeria’s development challenges stem not from a lack of policies or reform initiatives, but from the failure of institutions to effectively translate leadership, resources and policies into measurable results.
He said this while delivering the lead lecture at the Athena-Anchoria Junior Fellowship Programme roundtable on “Institutional Reforms Beyond Lagos and Abuja,” which focused on strengthening institutions and improving governance at the state, local government and community levels.
He noted that institutions and policy frameworks determined how power was exercised, resources were distributed, and public services were delivered. “Where institutions are weak, citizens bear the cost. Where they are strong, responsive and capable, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things,” he asserted.
The former member of the House of Representatives identified “isomorphic mimicry” as one of the major reasons reforms frequently fail in Nigeria. He explained that the practice involved copying institutional models that had worked in other countries without adapting them to local realities.
