Leading Nigerian academics have advocated for the adoption of four pillars of peace and security, human rights, development and humanitarianism, to address what they termed the complexities of Nigeria and other African nations.
This was part of the recommendations of the first cycle of dialogues organized by the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.
The dialogue, titled; “Understanding Nigeria”, aimed at assessing the political and socio-cultural structure of Nigeria as an African country, and the development of the people.
The conversation, which featured renowned historian and professor of African studies, Toyin Falola, and a professor of political science, Babafemi Badejo, was moderated by another scholar and former director general of the Nigerian Center for Black and African Arts and Civilization. (CBAAC), Tunde Babawale, professor.
dean’s comment
In her opening remarks, the dean of the faculty, Adelaja Odukoya, a professor, noted that Nigeria’s complexities have caused scholars to admit that understanding the country is nearly impossible.
The country’s complexities include multiple ethnicities, divergent religious, cultural, linguistic, educational and other orientations, he said.
“The often echoed slogan “unity in diversity” comes with its own problems for governance and human relations within and among Nigerians. Different opinions represent different claims or demands, as well as support or opposition to the Nigerian state system,” he said.
Mr. Odukoya, however, noted that while these paradoxes have made the task of understanding Nigeria complex, it is not impossible to understand.
Understanding Nigeria
During the conversation that drew participants from the university community, the public, and the media, the panelists noted that the “triple nexus” of peace and security, development, and humanitarianism developed by the United Nations (UN) under its former Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is capable of addressing the development deficit in Africa.
“The four pillars of peace and security, human rights, development and humanitarianism, when properly linked, can be extremely helpful in furthering our development,” they said in a statement issued after the speech.
But for them to be effective, the speech noted that a few other factors need to be addressed.
The professors listed these other factors to include leadership deficits and corruption, functioning institutions, control of resources, and external dynamics, which they said are very important in understanding daily life in Africa.
“If you look at what’s happening in Niger today and when you look at Nigeria’s actions towards Niger, you can’t help but appreciate the external dynamics,” Badejo said during the conversation.
“63 years old, they tell Nigerians, you have done nothing. But you have uranium and you can’t develop that uranium. Because? Because of the leadership deficit but also because there is someone behind you who made you sign that your central bank would be in France. The money you make would be stored in France and if you need money to borrow, you borrow your own money at a higher rate and this was all signed off at the end before independence could be granted.”
They also noted that a breakdown of the ‘elite consensus’ resulting from the privilege of ethnic identity over other crucial identities in the country has led to a breakdown of the trust and reciprocity necessary that helps a society function effectively.
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“The elite consensus reflects the failure of political parties to maintain and build the elite consensus. The nature of the break has meant the criminalization of politics in the country, and explains the impunity that we experience today everywhere. There are no national parties. That is why today there is a character deficit among the country’s political leaders,” they said.
Solutions?
However, the academics did make some recommendations that they say could help Nigeria’s and Africa’s development in the long run.
They said that democratic institutions must be strengthened to ensure transparency, promote good governance, and reinforce accountability and public trust.
The academics also said that professionals in the country must confront and hold politicians accountable for the positions they hold.
They added that the young population of Nigeria, which is expected to be the highest concentration of young people in the world by 2035, must be taken seriously.
“The issue of demography must be taken seriously. We need to engage the capacity of our people to stop the Japa Syndrome. The possibility of youth empowerment: Unleashing the energy and creativity of the youth by taking advantage of the latest innovations such as coding etc. ”, the statement said.
“Socioeconomic disparities must be addressed. Addressing this requires inclusive economic policy, investment in education, reviving vocational and technical training, creating youth upskilling incubators to create opportunities and reduce poverty.”
They also called on Nigerians in the diaspora not to lose sight of the power of the nation’s culture and community, noting that “the power of the collective is very important”.
The speech also charged the government to pay attention to education and the safety of life and property.
“To improve security, there must be an intelligent meeting, regional cooperation, among others… There must be conflict resolution through dialogue. The root causes of conflicts must be addressed,” the academics said.
“It is necessary to address the problem of pollution and climate change, invest in renewable energy and ensure sustainable agricultural practices.”
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in association with Report for the World, which connects local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on hidden issues around the world.
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