Legislative Oversight and Government Accountability: Implications for Good Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper discusses the extent to which the Nigerian federal legislature has been able to perform its oversight role to promote accountability and its impact on good governance in Nigeria. The research design used in the study is qualitative research design to examine the legislative activities and their effectiveness in improving accountability by using secondary data in scholarly articles, government documents and other related case studies. The findings show that legislative control has been a major factor in enhancing transparency and balancing executive operations. However, the effectiveness of legislative oversight is compromised by problems such as political interference, lack of adequate resources, and internal corruption, which might not be in a position to facilitate accountability in governance to the maximum. Moreover, the separation of powers limits the extent of the legislature, as the executive is often obliged to implement the law. The paper has established that despite the fact that legislative oversight is a key accountability mechanism, which is a characteristic of good governance, its effectiveness still requires improvement. The article, therefore, indicates that internal ethical standards and anti-corruption mechanisms should be enhanced in the legislature to enhance the credibility of the population and the legitimacy of the control measures. This is to ensure that there is good governance and that the legislative oversight has a positive role to play in the democratic stability in Nigeria.