For Nigeria to move forward, there is the need to develop her own goals, use indigenous resources and knowledge systems to drive it, a Professor of Development Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Olanrewaju Olutayo, has said.
The don said the country cannot develop if it continues to copy development goals of the so-called advanced economies.
Presenting the 429th inaugural lecture entitled ‘Certificate is Equal to What?’ Olutayo noted that Nigeria has been preoccupied with the colonial mentality of copying other countries rather than developing her own strategy.
He described as balderdash the placement of Nigeria as 152 out of 158 countries in the human development index, saying that development is never by comparing a nation with another based on the yardstick set from outside.
Olutayo however, challenged Nigerian academics to produce knowledge relevant to the transformation of Nigeria.
According to him, the usefulness of earning a certificate is not to hold the paper but using the knowledge to impact society.
He maintained that if Nigeria wants to develop, the federal and state governments as well as local governments must set its own goals and develop means through which it plans to achieve such.
“In our self-reappraisal, as is often mistaken to be true, it is important to establish that development is never about comparing one nation with another. As such, the human development index placing Nigeria in the 152nd position out of 158 (UNDP 2016) is balderdash. Each nation, wanting to develop, should set its own goals and develop means through which it plans to achieve such. Consequently, contextual analyses come to the fore rather than the generalisations for development,” he said.
The professor of development sociologist noted that the Nigerian chewing sticks are medicinal for treating dental diseases, treating liver diseases, sickle cell anemia and blood pressure than toothpaste.
Olutayo said that it was sad that while Nigerians demonised things that are indigenous but that are more effective and developed by the inventive nature of pre-colonial Nigerians, Nigerians now buy herbal products from Asian countries while rejecting the more effective ones which effectively cure our health challenges.
Since what is accepted in a place is a taboo in another place, Olutayo maintained that there is no universal way to develop, rather, countries develop their own goals and pursue it.
He lamented that the reason for Nigeria’s underdevelopment is that we are not independent and still conduct our businesses using colonial mentality.
“The recommendation since the colonial period till date has been to learn how to develop from those who had ‘developed’, as if they are no longer developing. We are being brainwashed to see ourselves in the garb of others without taking cognizance of our historico-sociological experiences.
Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan
