THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIO – ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA
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THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIO – ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA
By
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
OYO STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, LANLATE
Abstract
Nation building can be seen as a process of structuring a national identity using the state power which aims at the unification and integration of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. It is difficult to build nation in Nigeria because both the political and economic power has given opportunity to the rich due to biases policy – making in favour of the rich. Majority of the people still feel alienated. The tax system is largely regressive and the burden of taxation mostly falls on poorer small scale industries and individuals. It is against this backdrop that this paper examined the socio-economic inequality of nation building in Nigeria. This paper relies on secondary data collected from books, journal articles and was content analyzed in relation to the scope of the paper. The paper concludes that the rising level of socio-economic inequality in Nigeria poses a growing threat to Nigeria nation building and development. Nation building in Nigeria will continue to be hampered when a greater number of the populace continue living under frustration, hunger/ malnutrition and deprivation. It is recommended among others that government should bridge the wide gap between the rich and the poor by rising to empower especially the people at the grassroots, introducing palliative measures to cushion the effects of the economic recession and condemn undue display of wealth.
Keyword: Nigeria, Nation-building, Socio-Economic, Inequality.
