State-Sponsored Repression and the Shrinking of Civic Space in Nigeria from Military Rule to Civilian Democracy

This study interrogates the mechanisms through which successive regimes, military and civilian, have constrained fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly in Nigeria. Anchored in qualitative and analytical methods, the research synthesizes data from legal instruments, policy documents, archival sources, and scholarly works to trace the continuity and transformation of repressive practices from 1966 to 2023. Drawing on authoritarianism, political opportunity, and state repression theories, the paper elucidates how coercive institutions and restrictive laws have been institutionalized to preserve elite dominance under the guise of national security and public order. The findings reveal that while Nigeria’s democratic transitions promised greater openness, the persistence of militarized governance cultures and politicized security frameworks has entrenched a hybrid regime structure; one that upholds democratic norms in theory but in reality, substantively undermines civic participation. The study further highlights the resilience of civil society actors who continue to challenge repressive state tendencies through innovative activism and digital mobilization. Ultimately, the research underscores the imperative of structural reforms that prioritize institutional accountability, protect civic freedoms, and recalibrate state–society relations toward genuine democratic consolidation.