What role did the military play in under developing Nigeria?

Military regimes by default rule by fiat, by suspended a country’s constitution. This makes their incursion into a nation's politics more often than not have a stifling effect on democratic institutions.

However, the Nigerian example of under development crystallizes from factors way beyond the incursion of military adventurers.

Given the length of time we have continually had a civilian government, since 1999 to date; it would be untrue to deposit Nigeria’s underdevelopment entirely at the doorpost of the military.

We seem to have overlooked the fact that good governance, social transformation, economic development are not necessarily confined to the system of government adopted as a channel of delivery but by the sincerity of purpose of leaders. George Washington, who laid the foundation for greatness for the USA and the four Presidents after him all, had military backgrounds, in most countries of the G20, a form of military service is compulsory for one to rise to the apex of the public service. Jerry Rawlings rescued Ghana from the throes of degradation in military uniforms and didn't derail until he started mixing up with politicians, Moa Tse Tung of China, Charles de Gaulle, Pancho Villa, Napoleon Bonaparte, even Robin Hood, etc, etc all had military backgrounds but the Lowest Common Multiple among these men was their love and vision for their country and the sincerity with which they pursued that vision.

China and Japan do not practice parliamentary democracy but Japan was able to recover from the ravages of the 2nd world war and a tsunami recently, China has become the biggest economy on earth, all through pragmatic dedication towards specified goals but above all, they achieved prominence on the world stage owing to the vision, love and the sincerity with which their leaders pursued and defended their national interests. This is what is missing in our leaders in increasing degrees since the demise of the first republic and that has been the corner stone of our failure as a nation to join the league of developed nation’s in-spite of the humongous resources available to us.

America with all its perfection in governance was losing it until they got a president with the moral fibre of Barack Obama. 

In the final analysis, the system of government is not all of it when the purpose is socioeconomic development of a nation. Efficiency, vision and sincerity of purpose; that is the building block of good and effective governance.