Legislative behavior and lawmaking in Nigeria

This dissertation aimed to make an in-depth analysis of the legislative behavior and lawmaking in Nigeria. More so, factors that affect the behaviors of legislators during the decision making such as gender, religion, ethnic background, and party affiliation were looked into in order to get plausible answers as to why the present and past legislation and laws being made and implemented took the shape they currently are. In addition, however, the historical background and formation of the Nigerian legislature, along with the aforementioned factors, were also rigorously studied, and emphasis was placed on the role they have continually played on the existing democratic dispensation in Nigeria. This research was able to expose some critical findings that pave the way for further research on parliamentary politics in developing democracies. One is how the exogenous factors such as religion and politics shape legislators' and policymakers' behavior while making laws and how it goes a long way in influencing a considerable part of the social formation. Second is ethnicity, which is deemed endogenous and has been what sought to align into the people's everyday lives in society (otherwise known as the local or grassroots factor), hence influencing every part of their impulses; this is, in other words, replicated in the attitudes of legislators and policymakers while they make policies centered towards the state. The third important factor is gender. Gender representation-inequality has been a very critical issue in Nigerian society. Policies made are not at all gender-sensitive, so there is a massive lapse in this aspect of representation that needs much work to be done in order to address this issue, be it political, economic, or social. Therefore, this research serves as a synopsis of parliamentary politics research in the context of Nigeria. The findings may also serve to develop an understanding regarding how legislative politics works in other consolidating democracies in Africa. The findings may also be helpful in comparing legislative politics in Nigeria with other developed Western nations. Keywords: Nigeria, Legislative Behavior, Lawmaking, Religion, Ethnicity, Gender, Democracy.