SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN NIGERIA — THE ROOT CAUSE OF ITS UNDERDEVELOPMENT
By: Abdullahi Adekola
Tags: Nigerian Politics, Social Justice, Inequality, Hope, Nigeria

SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN NIGERIA — THE ROOT CAUSE OF ITS UNDERDEVELOPMENT

Social injustice in Nigeria has been like a long-festering tumor, presenting unattended symptoms for decades, which has in the last few years began to finally rear its ugly head, with accompanying pains. Abdullahi Adekola Dec 8, 2020·3 min read

What exactly is Social Injustice, you may ask, and it would be a very valid question, as it means different things to different people. To answer this, the meaning of Social justice, its stark opposite, must be considered. The vast majority of Nigerians- old and young, educated and uneducated, and citizens from all walks of life- have a general idea of what this should mean.

Social justice, to the common man, refers to the equality of opportunities and possibilities in a society or country. A society where children from every nook and cranny can realize his or her dreams, hopes and aspirations. A society where its citizens are limited by their capabilities and productivity, and not by their backgrounds. One in which its citizens are not limited by their last names, or lack of a ‘suitable’ one. A society where the bright light in the eyes of its children is not dimmed by despair and hopelessness.

Nigeria today is a far cry from what its founding fathers envisioned. The likes of Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and many others fought for independence with the vision of building a united and prosperous nation. Sadly, we now have a nation fraught with divisions, along lines of ethnicity and social strata, and social inequality.

The recent End SARS protests were a manifestation of the social injustices in the country. The protests, which were sadly taken advantage of by rioters and looters, signified the exasperation of the people with these injustices. It signified the response of the people to sadly recurring incidences in which a division of the Nigerian police force, SARS, which was created to protect their lives and properties, began to rob people of them. This particular division has since been disbanded, but the government must take a step further to reform the entire police force, to ensure the safety of our young and bright minds, who represent the future of the country.

There is a factor that exacerbated the protests which has perhaps not been given enough attention. Public Universities in Nigeria have been closed down for about 8 months, at least two of which have been after the government allowed resumption of schools across the country. This is due to a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, over a myriad of disputes about the direction of the university system. This is in contrast with private universities which have been running their academic programmes throughought this period. A large percentage of the young, bright and talented minds of the country, have thus been effectively made to lose a year of schooling and kept confined to their homes. No country with serious intentions of tackling social injustices and becoming one of the great powers of the world would sit idly while this goes on. However, this has unfortunately been the case, with countless meetings between the FG and ASUU without results. How then can a child born without a silver spoon rise as far as his dreams, hardwork and aspirations will take him?

Social injustice is the root cause of Nigeria’s underdevelopment and its inability to rise to dizzying heights. It causes a cascade of negative events and ills rooted fundamentally in the distrust by the citizens of the government and their fellow citizens (The recent END SARS protests fall squarely under the scope of this phenomena). This erosion of trust, a fundamental element in the growth and development of any nation, is certain to hamper it from attaining its full potential.

The revitalization of the educational sector is the first and most crucial step the government can take to solving these social injustices. Education teaches men and women about the past so they may learn from it, prepares them for the present, and provides direction for the future. It is certain to rekindle the light in the eyes of despairing children, and must therefore be seen as an important foundation for the country’s present and future economic and intellectual prosperity.

Nigeria is a nation with unique and unrivalled diversity. However, its people have two key unifying attributes- hope and faith. The hope and faith that anyone can rise as far as his talent, sweat and tears will take him will always be unshakable. Hopefully, the leaders of this great nation will rise to the occasion and work to help realize the Nigeria of our dreams- A nation of opportunities and possibilities.