NNAMDI AZIKIWE’S NEO WELFARISM AND THE NIGERIAN DEMOCRATIC STATE: A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION

ABSTRACT

Philosophy, a discipline as old as the human faculty of reason has its thrust on the good life for man. It employs the instrumentality of contemplation, reflection, analysis and criticism to arrive at truth. African philosophy has its orientation in communalism, as contra-distinguished from Western philosophy which is individualistic in outlook. Many Africans began the search for an ideological project of self-affirmation and assertive cultural nationalism. Among these were Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Pilot of Nigerian Independence, Leopold Senghor, appraised as an apostle of negritude, Kwame Nkrumah, a radical nationalist and a proponent of Pan-Africanism, Obafemi Awolowo, a socialist oriented nationalist, Julius Nyerere, the father of Ujamaa Socialism. This piece is concerned with attending to the philosophy of Neo-welfarism, as an ideology of political regeneration for Nigeria. It looks at the structure of his political ideology, without neglecting its internal components. This culminates in an analysis of how these ideas can resolve Nigeria’s problems as a nation. The points raised in the neo-welfarism ideology when contrasted against the present democratic dispensation in Nigeria, shows a philosophy that is capable of situating the right governance atmosphere for the leaders and the led.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

          Title page                                                                       i

          Declaration                                                                     ii

          Certification                                                                    iii

          Dedication                                                                      iv

          Acknowledgement                                                          v

          Table of Contents                                                           vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1             Background of the study           ---      ---      ---      ---      1

1.2             Statement of the problem          ---      ---      ---      ---      5

1.3             Aim of the study                      ---      ---      ---      ---      17

1.4             Research questions                   ---      ---      ---      ---      17

1.5             Scope of the study                    ---      ---      ---      ---      17

1.6             Significance of the study          ---      ---      ---      ---      18

1.7             Methodology                            ---      ---      ---      ---      19

1.8             Chapters overview                   ---      ---      ---      ---      20

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1     The concept of ideology           ---      ---      ---      ---      21

2.2     Theory of African philosophy             ---      ---      ---      31

2.3     Some theories of African philosophy           ---      ---      38

2.4     African philosophy and development           ---      ---      50 

CHAPTER THREE: ZIKISM AND NEO-WELFARISM

3.1     The Profile of Nnamdi Azikiwe          ---      ---      ---      56

3.2     Neo-welfarism                         ---      ---      ---      ---      60

3.3     Characteristics of neo-welfarism        ---      ---      ---      67

 CHAPTER FOUR: CRITICAL EVALUATION

4.1     The Nigerian democratic state since 1999     ---      ---      73

4.2     Critical evaluation                    ---      ---      ---      ---      80

CHAPTER FIVE:         CONCLUSION

5.1     Summary                       ---      ---      ---      ---      ---      88

5.2     Conclusion                     ---      ---      ---      ---      ---      88

5.3     Recommendations          ---      ---      ---      ---      ---      90

          Reference                       ---      ---      ---      ---      ---      91