Quality of Life, Rural Livelihood Sustainability and Basic Needs: Major Determinants For Nation Building In Nigeria
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Date
2017
Authors
Ajiola, F.O.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Philosophy, Lagos State University, Ojo Lagos, Nigeria.
Abstract
Eurocentric political economists and development experts have concluded that it is better to be a cow in the developed polities than being a person in Third World Countries. This simplistic though tenable assertion, is connected to the fact that over 80% of humans in sub Saharan Africa still live below two dollars per day. This paper posits that integrated development and nation building is only achievable through a reconceptualisation of development to embrace physical quality of life of ruralites, improved rural livelihood, and basic social services for rural populations. The paper tries to put to rest the notion of development propounded for developing countries by neoliberal orthodoxy. It is anchored on dialectical materialism, and conceptually kowtow that material conditions, particularly judicious appropriation of state's resources, are decisive formative influences on social life, and constitute essential factor in discovering the laws of motion and building a viable nation. It argues that in order to build an onerous nation, there should be equitable redistribution of the fruit of economic growth and development between the elitist class and the peasants, thereby obliterating all social unevenness in Nigeria. Historians should focus more on labour history and development issues, through the prism of Marxism. The polemical tone of this paper is that what constitutes development is the level of living, quality of life, indicators of health standards and rural livelihood sustainability. Achieving sustainable development in Nigeria is however subject to improving the quality of life, rural livelihood and wellbeing of people living in rural agrarian and urban industrial sectors. It should also bridge rural and urban dichotomy, by ensuring equitable provision of basic social services in the polity.
Description
Staff publications
Keywords
Quality of life , Development , Nation building , Rural livelihood , Capitalism in Nigeria , Research Subject Categories::HUMANITIES and RELIGION::History and philosophy subjects::History subjects
Citation
Ajiola, F.O.(2017). Quality of Life, Rural Livelihood Sustainability and Basic Needs: Major Determinants For Nation Building In Nigeria