Underdevelopment in Nigerian and Other Developing Countries: Imperialism Versus Corruption

Abstract

The conception that Africa is underdeveloped because of the incursion of Europeans vis-à-vis slave trade, imperialism and colonialism is so overwhelming that it beclouds contemporary reality of the fundamental causes of underdevelopment in Nigeria and other developing countries. Very recently, precisely January 22, 2016, John Kerry (US Secretary of States) declared that corruption is killing Nigeria and 5 other states. Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture) had earlier stated that about 55 people stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013. This arousesconsciousness on corruption and brings to question the Afrocentric theories of underdevelopment. The study appraises the basic assumptions of dependency / imperialism conceptions and juxtaposes it with cases of corruption in Nigeria. The study concludes that Nigeria and other developing countries should stop brooding over slavery, imperialism and colonialism that ended several decades ago and face present realities because almost all the countries of the world were at one time or the other brutalized, subjugated and exploited. The reality is that corruption is the root cause of contemporary underdevelopment in Nigeria and other developing countries. The study recommends among other things that anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria should be strengthened and granted more coercive and enforcement powers. There should be no sacred cows or caveats in the fight against corruption. Stiffer penalties and punishment should be meted out on corruption cases and immunities of politicians should be conditional waived in glaring cases of corruption.