The Nigeria political landscape has undergone a series of transformations since independence in 1960. Nigeria spent most of her post independence years struggling with political, social, and economic upheavals. Repeated attempts to sustain and consolidate democratic government have faltered. The resurgence of ethnic and religious conflicts all over the country has once again fueled pessimism concerning not only the future of democracy in Nigeria, but also the existence of Nigeria as a political entity. The way the Nigerian government resolves these challenges will determine whether Nigeria’s fledgling democracy is transient or sustainable and, more importantly, whether Nigeria disintegrates or reconfigures herself as a nation-state. This paper focuses on the role of civil society in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy in terms of expanding the political space for popular participation. The main argument of this paper is that a weak civil society and non-democratic culture is to a large degree the product of political instability; conversely a vibrant civil society coupled with civility and social capital are the basic building blocks for democratic survival. Moreover, a vibrant civil society can champion government reforms, confront corruption, advocate respect for human rights, promote and defend democratic processes and institutions. One of our chances of achieving sustainable peace, economic development, and stable government in Nigeria is to give civil society a greater role in governance. As democracy spreads around the world, the realization is growing that a nation’s political future, its economic strength, its national vitality and its very identity will be shaped by the creation of better, more transparent government in partnership with a vibrant civil society.