NIGERIA AT 62: DEPENDENCE OR INDEPENDENCE

Name: Ajayi Florence Oluwabusola Department: Sociology and Anthropology Level: 100 Level NIGERIA AT 62: DEPENDENCE OR INDEPENDENCE Before the advent of the British colonialists, every African society had leaders who governed the people by native, customary or traditional laws peculiar to them; without foreign control. However, the British colonialists joined diverse peoples and regions to form an artificial political entity called Nigeria; solely for administrative convenience. Aggrieved by the unfair treatment of the colonialists, the educated elites- the nationalists agitated for self rule and Nigeria eventually became an independent country in 1960. There were high expectations for a prosperous and great country. The question now is: after 62 years of independence, is Nigeria truly independent? The answer is no. A dependent country is one being influenced or subjected to the control of another country or foreign government; while an independent country enjoys sovereignty, self-governance and self-determination of her affairs and policies. Nigeria is a dependent country because economically, technologically and politically, it is still dependent on other countries for survival. "Dependency relates to a situation in which the economy of certain countries is conditioned by the development and expansion of the other to which the former is subjected’’. The failure of the government to provide basic necessities of life has led many Nigerians to ‘escape’ overseas in search of greener pastures and become slaves to the Whites. We are becoming more dependent than in 1960s when Nigeria economy was driven by agriculture, experiencing self sufficiency in food, employment opportunities, infrastructural and industrial development. The Naira was very strong because the country was not subjected to high rate of importation of foreign goods as is the case today. The oil boom in the early 1970s was a curse rather than a blessing for us as a nation. Nigeria jettisoned agriculture and became a consuming nation. Despite being one of the leading oil producers in the world, the country is not having functional refineries. She imports refined petrol and diesel at high cost, making life difficult for the people and resulting to the collapse of many manufacturing companies. The bi-lateral relationship between Nigeria and other developed countries such as USA, Britain, Germany, France and China is best described as slave-master relationship because while they are becoming more prosperous, enjoying economic stability and growth, Nigeria is becoming poorer and under heavy burden of loan repayment with high interest rates. The Russia-Ukraine war has further exposed Nigeria level of dependency on other nations for survival as the war is having a devastating effect on Nigeria economy, energy and food supply. The war has resulted to scarcity of energy sources, wheat and fertilizer as well as worsening foreign exchange. In addition, Nigeria, being an import-dependent economy is reliant on imported commodities priced in dollars. A rise in the value of dollar makes imported commodities into the country more expensive. Worst of all, Nigeria is depending on other countries such as Indonesia for food; China for technology and automobiles; while America and Britain dictate our foreign policies and political direction.