October 23, (THEWILL) – Not many would identify with the symptoms of poverty and how it has affected many Nigerians’ psyche. It is public knowledge that Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world. The latest data says about 68 million people are experiencing multi-dimensional poverty. We are not just a poverty world headquarters but the poverty of thoughts, mights and sights. The phenomenon of poverty didn’t start today and won’t end today due to a lack of adequate measures to curb and curtail it. It has eaten so deeply into our very moral fabric that hardly you will see anybody who is not seeking an opportunity to loot if the table turns to them. It is as if everyone waits for his / her moment to take a pan of flesh.
Patrick Lumumba, a renowned Kenyan scholar and pan-Africanist, has sounded an alarm about the disturbing reality of corruption in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. He warns that the next generation is poised to be even more ruthless in their pursuit of illicit wealth, having learned from the corrupt practices of previous generations and political leaders. Lumumba’s words are a stark reminder that the continent’s future is at risk of being hijacked by greed and corruption.
Lumumba cites a disturbing survey that found 40% of young Kenyans believe corruption and looting are acceptable, with the only concern being getting caught. Essentially, people condemn corruption because they’re not the ones benefiting from it.
The tragic incident in Jigawa state, where people were caught in an inferno while scooping spilt fuel, highlights the desperation and poverty that drives such risky behaviour.
It is a psyche issue that is engraved in our DNA because the Nation calls for it. The very factor that causes citizens to scoop spilt items or pack rotten chickens at refuse dumps is not different from the one who siphoned resources and those who stole in offices with pens. It is just different dimensions of moral decadence and poverty that have become a standard in today’s realities as Nigerians.
For example, the accident in Jigawa state where a tanker laden with fuel fell and citizens gathered to scoop the liquid that led to their untimely deaths resulting in 156 casualties is a stark reality of an opportunity to loot due to poverty mentality and greed. When one’s well-being is distorted, reasoning takes flight. Poverty affects people’s capacities. Where capabilities are more than skill sets, but rather speak to valuable beings and doings according to Amartya Sen.
Poverty limits people and it is unfreedoms to many issues. It causes restrictions and one becomes limited to certain circumstances and conditions. The people who stoop so low to scoop spilt fuel may as well steal in office if given the opportunity because they are not different from the political class or elites who are daily plundering our nation’s resources as their national cakes.
In his seminal work, Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom”, presents a compelling argument that development should prioritise enhancing individuals’ freedoms, capabilities, and well-being. Sen’s work is a Bible guidance on how social development should be and how poverty and inequalities can be addressed given the tragic incident in Jigawa state where citizens died while scooping spilt fuel due to poverty and desperation.
The Five Freedoms and Capabilities Approach
Sen’s development paradigm emphasises five essential freedoms: political freedom, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security. These freedoms enable individuals to expand their capabilities, leading lives they value and achieving valuable outcomes. The capabilities approach focuses on enhancing human abilities, such as education, healthcare, and participation.
Poverty and Unfreedom in Nigeria
The Jigawa state fuel scoop tragedy starkly illustrates Nigeria’s development challenges. Economic poverty drives citizens to risk their lives for scarce fuel, highlighting limited access to economic opportunities. Social poverty is evident in inadequate education and healthcare. Political poverty manifests in weak governance, corruption, and voicelessness.
Nigeria’s underdevelopment undermines human well-being and freedom. The country’s rich natural resources contrast sharply with widespread poverty. Inadequate economic facilities, social opportunities, and transparency guarantees perpetuate unfreedom. The fuel scoop tragedy exemplifies the desperation born from poverty and limited choices.
In conclusion, Amartya Sen’s “Development as Freedom” offers a powerful framework for understanding Nigeria’s underdevelopment and Lumumba cautions that unless Africa addresses its corruption and poverty issues, the next generation will be even more vulnerable to exploitation.
To break the cycle of poverty and unfreedom, Nigeria must prioritise:
1. Economic empowerment through job creation and social safety nets
2. Social investment in education and healthcare
3. Good governance, transparency, and accountability
Adopting these aforementioned and not limited to Sen’s development paradigm, Nigeria can enhance citizens’ capabilities, freedoms, and well-being, ensuring that tragic incidents like the Jigawa state fuel scoop tragedy become a relic of the past.
*** written by Tife Owolabi
