Social Development In Nigeria -By Fejiro Urhiewhu

Social development is about improving the well-being of every individual in society so they can reach their full potential. The success of a society is linked to the well-being of each and every citizen. Social development means investing in people. For example some social development in Nigeria include ; Improvement in education access, Improvement in corruption through more transparency, and enhancing security and public safety to prevent terrorist attacks.

Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multi-cultural country. This means that many ethnicities from different cultures practice different religions and beliefs all within one country. This can be the source of a culturally rich society where many people can share ideas and information. However, it’s also a source of conflict and separation. By exploring the history and social development progress in Nigeria, we’ll be able to better understand Nigeria’s Social changes. There are several important historical and social events which play into the causes of social development in Nigeria. Nigeria colonial and social history, in particular, it’s colonial history and civil war can explain much of the current social development Nigeria is facing until now.

PRESENT POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL PROFILE

Since 1999, Nigeria has had a stable government. It’s part of several major political organisation and relationships. For instance, Nigeria is a part of the British Commonwealth and recognise Queen Elizabeth ll as the head. It’s part of OPEC ( the organisation of petroleum exporting countries), an organisation of 13 countries that sets oil prices and maintains oil supply for the world. It’s also a part of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU), with major peacekeeping roles. Despite these success, there are still claims of major political corruption. There is little transparency and accountability at the political scale, leading to high levels of bribery and nepotism. Due to the misuse of tax money, other projects which can help the public aren’t funded.

Currently, there are four dominant ethnic groups in Nigeria: Hausa( around 30%), Yoruba( around 20%), and the Igbo( around 18%). They are more or less divided across Nigeria based on location. Over 50% are Muslim( mainly in the North), around 45% are Christian( mainly in the South), and the remaining are different  indigenous regions. Due to these historical division, tribalism is still a major issue for social progress in Nigeria. Despite these differences, Nigeria benefits from a thriving artistic and cultural music, film, and literature industry. It’s version of “Hollywood”, termed “Nollywood” is one of the largest film industries in the world. Football is also an important sport for the country, and there are also several famous football players playing in premier clubs in the UK. Some examples are Emmanuel Dennis, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey.

POVERTY

Over 60% of residents in Nigeria live in poverty, lacking access to sufficient resources such as healthcare, schooling, and Income. With more of the population in poverty, the lower standard of living there is. There is also due to high unemployment, with over 25% of Nigeria without a job. The government is struggling to create new jobs and investment, leading to higher inequality with the country.

CORRUPTION

Much of the issues of poverty and inequality also have to do with high corruption in the country. Corruption can take valuable resources and time away from social development progress. Transparency international, a non-profit organisation that studies global corruption, labelled “Nigeria” as one of Africa’s most corrupt countries in 2016. Although this figure has improved. Nigeria still struggle with corruption.

INEQUALITY

Inequality is the gap in living standard between rich and poor. Nigeria’s inequality is measured by The ”Gini Coefficient”, the distribution of income across a country. Nigeria’s “Gini Coefficient” is 351, ranking it as moderately unequal. This means there’s a strong gap between the rich and poor but not the worst in the world. Although Nigeria has a strong oil producing economy, most of the money is kept within companies, houses and schools which has increased the poverty level of Nigeria immensely.

‌ EDUCATION

Nigeria’s illiteracy rate, a percentage of the population that can read and write, is low ( around 65%). Compared to the UK’S literacy rate of 99%, the difference is significant. This is due to a lack of educational facilities, textbooks, and teachers in the country. This is a negative indicator for a Nigeria as if it prevent people from being able to take up higher employment and higher income. Further, almost half of all girls in Nigeria do not have an opportunity to get an education. This is due to gender biases and cultural differences, where women’s education is not as highly valued. This can’t further widen gender inequality as boys have more access to schooling and employment opportunity later on.

TERRORISM

The Boko Haram terrorist groups in Nigeria is strictly against western culture, including voting, dressing in western clothes, and secular education. Their means of fighting against these cultural differences is by kidnapping, attacking and killing people, communities, and different religions groups. Unfortunately, 35,000 people died since 2011 from their attack.

‌ THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN NIGERIA

As Nigeria’s population only continue to expand the social development problems could worsen. It’s predicted by 2050, the youths population alone could be 830 million and Nigeria is set to be one of the top 5 most populous countries in the world. In order to address social development problems, a clear set of social development goals in Nigeria is crucial. Nigeria has formed it’s goals along with “ Sustainable Development  Goals ( SDG)”, a set of goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the environment, and ensure peace by 2030. These goals are meant as a guide for countries to follow to make more significant changes in their countries.

In this past years and even till now Nigeria is still a developing, in the area of life of its citizens both rich and poor. And pray for a better Nigeria in the future.

In conclusion, this brief essay suggests that Nigeria offers a global audience a glimpse of what’s possible when people work together towards a common goal. It highlights the miracle of social work’s development, growth, and survival in a country with a dismal record of policy implementation, minimal public service provision, and even less support for social workers, an army of which is needed to tackle deepening poverty and social problems.

Fejiro Urhiewhu
Department of English.
DELSU