The Spell of Money and the Socio-Economic Development of Nigeria: An Assessment from Asouzu’s Ibuanyidanda Perspective

Abstract

The importance of money in the life of man and the society cannot be overemphasized. It makes the life of man simple and more meaningful. This great importance and value of money has made many to elevate it from a means to an end to an end in itself. Most Nigerians now see it as the summum bonum of life and others see it as sacred and have tended to worship it. Those who have it in abundance are adored and worshiped. They are given chieftaincy titles, awards and places of honour both in the society, the churches and other religious houses. Money which was made by man to serve man has turned to be the master of man, for the way and manner in which human beings make, use and treat money has placed man below money and under its control - people now kill, maim, loot treasuries, go into war and involve in all kinds of calumny for the sake of money. The paper sees the placement of money as the summum bonum instead of values like integrity, honesty, hard work etc as the bane of Nigeria and by extension Africa’s development. It aims at discolouring this mind-set Africans operate with through what Asouzu calls the ‘noetic propaedeutic pedagogy,’ so as to allow economic growth to crop in. Money needs to take its rightful place which is a means to the attainment of the numerous needs of man and not as an end. When this becomes the case that is the moment Africa will begin to compete in terms of development with other countries of the world. The paper sees development of all strata of the society as directly or indirectly connected to money. Thus, when money is made to take its rightful place, that is when economic, educational, scientific, technological, cultural and other forms of development will begin to be witnessed in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.