The Nigerian State and the crisis of industrialization: lessons from Singapore

Abstract

Nigeria faces the crisis of industrialization and development despite rich mineral and natural resources endowment. The present work is therefore set out to investigate the role of the Nigerian state in this crisis. The Nigerian post-colonial state, due to a certain stereotyped rationalization for explaining her underdevelopment, is dressed in a borrowed rope of certain characters; such characters,  the paper contends are rather those of the ruling and political class, not the Nigerian state. It is the dependencia propositions that by the nature and character of the post-colonial state; and by the global character of capitalism, the integration of peripheral and dependent economies into the world capitalist orbit, portends disaster. This by the emergence of the Asian tigers such as Singapore has proven to be ahistorical and not in sync with contemporary reality. This paper finds the crisis in leadership, in the manner of organization of resources and in the patrimonial redistribution instead of wealth creation, thus making the Nigerian state a failed planner and regulator of development. The resource curse theory is adopted as the theoretical framework for the present work. As desktop, qualitative and descriptive research, extensive reliance is placed on secondary data with the use of content analysis. The example of Singapore proves that what is needed is a transformational leadership, whether democratic or totalitarian, with the political will to make sacrifices, champion, organize and utilize Nigeria’s abundant natural and mineral resources and lead her on the path of industrialization and social progress.