Chapter 10: Philosophy and National Development: The Nigerian Experience

This chapter examines the relevance of philosophy to national development. It problematizes this through an analysis of the decreasing recognition accorded to the discipline of philosophy both in the educational sector and in other relevant elements of national development in the Nigerian context. Its argument is that the unparalleled promotion of knowledge of science and technology and subsequent relegation, if not complete abandonment of philosophy in such contexts, is misguided and self-destructive. Both as a discipline and as an enterprise, philosophy should be relevant, not only in equipping citizens with correct ethical virtues and the critical mentality required to interrogate the fundamental questions of human existence, in the pursuit of their societal growth, but also in nation-building and national development. Attempt at removing philosophy in a country's education system is to create a machine society where individuals are left without both intellectual and moral virtues needed for personal and collective development.