UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND DEPENDENCY IN AFRICA

ABSTRACT

Underdevelopment and Dependency in Africa is our main trust which we looked at in this essay as we related it to the Nigeria context. We looked at the meaning of underdevelopment and the various theories of underdevelopment ranging from the Classical Marxian theories, the Neo-Marxian theories and Dependency theories. This study focuses on dependency theory as the framework of analysis. It is a central contention of dependency theory that poor states are impoverished and rich ones enriched by the way the poor states are integrated into the world system. That is the underdeveloped nations of the periphery which Nigeria belongs to are exploited by wealthy developed nations of the centre in order to sustain economic growth and remain wealthy. A case study of 1999-2020 using the following researched questions; is there a link between dependency and underdevelopment in Nigeria? Is there a relationship between ideological/cultural dependency and underdevelopment in Nigeria? Is there a relationship between bad leadership and poor followership and underdevelopment in Nigeria? To answer the aforementioned questions, the study employs the quantitative methodology using the questionnaire as the primary mode of data collection This study adopted a qualitative research method with survey instruments deployed to gather relevant data for analysis. Findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between dependency and underdevelopment in Nigeria. Based on findings, it was recommended that government should also operate in a manner that will enable the indigenes to participate fully and meaningfully at all levels of decision making policies.