Nigeria, Oct. 14 -- CASH-driven democracy is derived from the first letters of "Care, Attention, Support and Honesty", four principles that should define responsible governance. It means caring for the people, attending to their needs, supporting their welfare and being honest with them. Unlike cash-and-carry democracy, which reduces electoral participation to exchanging votes for money and other inducements, CASH-driven democracy places human welfare, responsible leadership and integrity at the centre of governance.

Since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, concerns about vote buying, poverty, inadequate public services and the disconnect between elected officials and citizens have continued to raise questions about the qualit...