Marxism and the Challenge of Development in Contemporary Nigeria; A Historical – Philosophical Reflection

Abstract

One of the major problems the Nigeria state has faced since the attainment of political independence in October 1960 is the disparity in the economic fortunes of the ‘have’ and ‘have nots’. The gap between the two classes seems to widen with subsequent regimes in Nigeria. This paper examines the place of Marxian philosophy and the Nigerian state. Drawing largely from secondary data, the paper posits that the Nigerian state lacks the necessary productive base on which social relations could be anchored. The consequence of this lacuna is the escalation of youth restiveness which has impacted negatively on the transformation of the Nigerian society. In the conclusion, the paper draws attention to the need to have an institutional framework of policies that would address this malaise and extricate the country from the tag of ‘failed state.