Nehemiah as an Exemplary Political Leader in Judah (Nehemiah 3: 1-32): Implications and Lessons for Nigeria Political Leaders

The problem of disunity in Nigeria has motivated the researcher to examine the leadership style of Nehemiah who maintained national unity and integration in Judah as contained in Nehemiah 3:1-32. Nehemiah was a Bible character who lived in the 5th century BC as the governor of Judah. He united the people of Judah who worked together and rebuilt the destroyed wall of Jerusalem. The aim of the study is to relate the realities of Nehemiah’s leadership as governor of Judah to the political leadership situation in contemporary Nigeria. The research adopted content analysis and empirical studies method of data collection. The research finds that the secret behind Nehemiah’s effective leadership was the fear of God. Nigerian leaders will turn to contend for unity if they fear God and practice the good ethical teachings of their religions hence God is the God of unity. The conclusion is that the application of Nehemiah’s leadership paradigm by Nigerian leaders could help to do away with the problem of division in the country which has resulted into maltreatment of some citizens and killing of innocent lives. Nigeria needs leaders who would unite the people as citizens of one nation, bound in freedom, peace and unity. The study therefore, recommends that although Nigeria has different ethnic groups and multiple religions, unity should not be hindered by any citizen or group on account of such differences.