Factors Affecting Nigerias Underdevelopment Essay

According to an economist the idea of using is a situation whereby in that respect is an increase in a nations GNP and GDP, trail to an increase in growth . only to a sociologist this is a surface definition as development or rather a farming is regarded as developed when much(prenominal) increase is affecting the living condition of its people even to the sm in allest congregation in the society. Where we dont only calcu deep numbers and figures and structures but can see the positive change of things in the life of the people, two the rich, average and poor. Then such a society would be regarded as developed. For example the living conditions of the USA.Nigeria the roughly populated country in Africa make full with its endowed intrinsic resources, and according to the united nations statistics Nigeria is the 8th most inhabited county in the world with a population of 2.3% (UN 2011).but the country excuse suffers the descent of underdevelopment due(p) to certain avoid able factors that stand as unavoidable. What in truth is underdevelopment? W.A Lewis 1963 says that a country may be underdeveloped in the sense that its engineering is backward when comp bed with that of other countries or in the sense that its institutions are comparatively unfavorable to investment, or in the sense that capital resources per head are low when compared with western Europe or in the sense that railroad siding per head is low or in the sense that it has valuable natural resources that has not yet begun use (extracted by opafola 1996).Agreeing to what Lewis has said so healthful underdevelopment can be explored from other dimension which in a counseling he seemed to have ignored, it is a situation whereby the quality of life of the bulk of its people is low. The causes or factors of Nigerias underdevelopment can be divided into 2 which are both external and internal. External includes sla really, colonialism, neo- colonialism and the worldwide recession (Rodney 1 972), with which in my opinion is a fact for our underdevelopment the foundation. Also the internal factors include bribery and degeneracy, poor leadership, bad patriotism from citizens etc. which actually is avoidable.FACTORS AFFECTING NIGERIAS UNDERDEVELOPMENT1. Bribery and CorruptionThis is the greatest factor that has lay Nigeria where it is today, the tell apart of corruption this is an internal factor. According to the Longman dictionary of contemporary English overbold mutation corruption is define as dishonest, illegal or immoral behavior, oddly from someone with actor. In Africa as a whole query has seen it that most African leaders are corrupt in nature, leading to their deceleration in development of their economy. Taking a cue from the late Attah Williams of gold coast, he executed all the corrupt leaders in Ghana for the stability of the country, and from recent news Ghana has taking a new turn in its development process (silver bird news twenty-third august 2 012). The issue of corruption is Nigerias biggest challenge that is eating into our economic growth leading to money laundering and looting of public silver meant for the improving living condition of citizens.Corruption now is found in every facets of the Nigerian system especially the political aspect has leaders steal for selfish gain. The transparency international corruption index 2011 stratified Nigeria 143th of 183 counties in the world that is developed, also on the scale of 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) Nigeria scored 2.4%, between 2010 and 2011 Nigerias position declined from 9 places scoring 2.4% from a realizable 10 showing the greatest sign that efforts at correcting corruption had been very inadequate in the last year (business day, Wednesday September 6 2011).This shows the summit meeting of corruption in our country, taking the story of the former tellor crowd ibori of delta state who was jailed for 16 years for money laundering in April 2012 by the A merican judiciary after being discharged by a Nigerian court due to bribe for a reference he was still found guilty. Nigerias business is this menace and until at that place is a stop to it I wonder where we are heading to. 2.Neo-colonialism or imperialismThis is an external factor of Nigerias underdevelopment it is the highest form of exploitation from the British countries to their colonies after independence. Nigeria has contributed to its economic backwardness, as it promotes the maintenance of foreign domination and enhances neo-colonialism and the flowering of subjugationism (onimode, 1981). Imperialism has unendingly been an exploitative phenomenon, which was the initial motive for colonization. Nigeria has been seen as a dumping dirt for most British counties, making it difficult for us to produce our receive goods.Also the fact that we are primary producers with fewer technicalities to produce our vulgar materials into finished products makes it a means of imperialis m as we export our goods at the calculate determined by the British colonies and still import back at a higher cost. For example the crude cover, Nigeria is the largest country with the crude oil but the poorest in economic state due lack of puniness in transforming crude oil into petrol which led to the issue of sucidy remotion in January 1st 2012, even after which things havent changed as fuel scarcity hits most part of the country e.g. Abuja, Lagos etc. as at 19th September 2012.3.Poor leadershipAccording to john c. maxwell leadership is about catch and niyi adesonya sees it as not effective influence but also inspiration. The idea of Nigerias leadership is just based on selfish gain of eating the national stripe and leaving the main aim of governance. Research has seen it that Africa is one continent whereby its leaders are older than the country itself and Nigeria is not left out, as most of our past leaders are much older than the country itself. The issue of poor leader ship is also a impart factor whereby due to corruption leaders make laws to favour their actions, as each meter a ruler comes in seat we keep on amending the governance to suite political parties, politicians make empty promise during election campaigns when put office little or nothing is done in such community and citizens keep suffering in squalor and begin to govern themselves providing the necessities for their comfort.Due to poor leadership the recent issue of flood all over most riverine area would have occurred, this is because a developed country would have been prepared to channel the water released from the Cameroonian dam into another dam. But since Nigerian political elites spend time on unnecessary things the likes of the introduction of the 5000 naira note, citizens are homeless. Poor leadership is a contributing factor of Nigerias underdevelopment, as the main issues are not critically tacked to solve other things.It has led to flamboyant spending of public funds whereby an average senator in the house of representative is paid unnecessary bills like the seating allowance, wardrobe allowance etc. aside the salary they earn, why wont people kill to seat on political power? Nigeria is one country whereby the president earns more than the president of get together asserts. As they continue to buy properties that they dont need quite of investing in profitable business.4.Bad patriotismThis is also a make factor for our underdevelopment from in my opinion, it is obvious that most Nigerians are aware of our backwardness and they dont try to help matters instead they add to the problem itself. By disobeying or making difficult certain rules meant to help the country, this is because they remember it is another lie to eat from us. From the AIT news in August Hilary Clintons last visit to Nigeria in 2012, she told the president to have the will power of taking certain stringent rules and standing firm for example the handiwork of governor Fash ola of Lagos state is termed credible as Lagos with its massive population is actually adjusting to change. This is because even as unpatriotic most Lagosians are governor Fashola still took a stand, Nigerias problem is also citizen built as persons no what is right and refuse doing it for no reason.REFERENCESWalter Rodney (1972) How Europe Underdeveloped Africa Dar-Es Salaam. Tanzania Publishing House. Lewis W.A (1963) The guess of Economic Growth London George Allen and Unwin Ltd. S.O. Opafola (1996) The Journal of Philosophy and Development Vol.2, Ogun State University Hope Publications. Onimode, B (1981) Imperialism and Nigerian Development In O. Nnoli Edition. Longman Dictionary of contemporary English New Edition.Business Day Newspaper Wednesday September 6 (2011), Nigeria and Corruption Index United Nation Statistics 2011.AIT News august 2012.