Abstract
When he was Vice-President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan pledged that his democratic regime would bring an end to conflict in the embattled Niger Delta region. This article examines the processes by which Jonathan's pledge is being realised. Using Amartya Sen's constructivist democracy theoretical framework, the article looks at the way that Nigeria's decade-old democracy is fostering peace and development in the Niger Delta through dialogue. It assesses the relationship between diverse regime actors – such as Jonathan and the former president, the late Umaru Yar'Adua, and their constituents, who are politically organised into a myriad of civil society groups and community activists – contending that their engagement is a foundation for deepening Nigeria's democracy. It argues that this process – albeit prone to constant fissures and tensions – is facilitating a resolution to the country's most challenging conflict since the civil war, one that will support sustained peace and development.
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