Ada Ekejiuba-Umezurike

Now in 2009 and far away from October 1st, 1960, the issue of rebuilding Nigeria is still on the front burner for a country with vast potential resources and human power at home and in the Diaspora. Standing out as a giant on the African continent, a nation that prides itself with community and cultural traditions, can the past ideology of Nyerere's UJAMMA--familyhood serve present day Nigeria in moving her forward and in making her a true partaker in the global world order? The thought for utilizing UJAMMA--familyhood in rebuilding Nigeria comes to mind, more so especially when knowing that a resourceful, powerful, but leadership deficient region is still on this "leadership" puzzle even after Achebe's, 1984, The Trouble with Nigeria, indicating that Nigeria’s trouble had plenty to do with leadership and the lack thereof. That was twenty-five years ago.

Looking back in history, it was seven years after Nigeria's independence that President Nyerere of Tanzania brought to light his catchword, UJAMMA--familyhood. To reiterate, UJAMMA--famillyhood was the mindset free of conventional politics, but rather, the purpose that African citizens care for each other's welfare. In the case of Nigeria, Nyerere's intent would meld into all Nigerian citizens at home and in the diaspora taking part in caring for each other's welfare. A well endowed country such as Nigeria is yet to set the pace for steady leadership, perhaps fortifying Nyerere's UJAMMA--familyhood, in rebuilding Nigeria would be a solution where there is a leadership deficiency. The leadership puzzle also has to do with Nigeria's terrain, the credo, of Nigeria as North and South, where leadership morphs into something bizarre when Northern and Southern Nigerian tradition is part of the democratic process. Why not have a democratic process that is based solely on Nigerian traditional leadership? What is meant by Nigerian traditional leadership you ask? Nigerian traditional leadership would mean the form of leadership with an infusion of Nigerian culture and community which Nigeria presently thrives on. We could classify this infusion as “Culture-ship”, that is, utilizing aspects of Nigerian culture to meet the needs of all Nigerian people at home and abroad.

Historically, Nyerere's UJAMMA--familyhood serves as a case in point. For instance, Turner (2007) described the traditional African society in relation to UJAMMA--familyhood, somewhat in the form of a social security system. Every citizen partakes in rebuilding the community or country till retirement, then, the system serves the retired in an African socialist sort of way. Call it African socialism; however, when leadership continues to be deficient in socialist Nigeria forty-nine years after her independence, indisputably, a new strategy for exemplary leadership is called for to bring Nigeria up to par and away from her third-world rankings. Culture-ship should be the new inclusion in this quest for true Nigerian leadership which we are yet to attain. Perhaps embracing Culture-ship and infusing culture into Nigerian politics will ultimately inspire leadership in Nigeria regionally, nationally and then globally.

Looking at the United States of America for instance, the intent is not to compare Nigeria to the United States of America; it is merely to say that Nigeria can, for a lack of a better word, do better. America, a supposedly individualist society and not fully socialist centered, seems to embrace the idea of rebuilding communities as part of a plan to strengthen not only communities but the country at large. Lisbeth B. Schorr's Common Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to rebuild America (1997) serves as an example. The author highlights the transformation process of post industrialist communities such as Baltimore, Bronx, and Newark in which she identified citizens as full participants in the transformation process, and to revitalize those communities to ultimately impact nation building. Thus, full participants are called for in rebuilding communities and this aspect of citizen involvement and participation is very much missing in present day Nigerian politics or leadership, if you like. Where Nigeria is rich in culture and community but deficient in leadership, the rich aspect of her culture can be a conduit to rebuilding the nation. Again, I ask, why not the ideology of Nyerere's UJAMMA--familyhood in reconstructing present day Nigeria?

Ada Ekejiuba-Umezurike is a Ph.D. Student at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Walden University.

References:

Achebe, Chinua. (1984). The Trouble with Nigeria. Oxford: Heinemann.

Schorr, L. B. (1997). Common Purpose: Strengthening Families and Neighborhoods to rebuild America. New York: Doubleday.

Turner, N. (2007). Ujamaa: The Basis of African Socialism. Retrieved on April 10, 2009 from http://www.nathanielturner.com/ujamaanyerere.htm

Robot  # 1 | 22.06.2009 07:56

Ada Ekejiuba-Umezurike Now in 2009 and far away from October 1st, 1960, the issue of rebuilding Nigeria is still on the front burner for a country with vast potential resources and human power at home and in the Diaspora. Standing out as a giant on the African continent, a nation that prides itself with community and cultural traditions, can the past ideology of Nyerere's UJAMMA--familyhood serve present day Nigeria in moving her forward and in making her a true partaker in the global world order? The thought for utilizing UJAMMA--familyhood in rebuilding Nigeria comes to mind, more so especially when knowing that a resourceful, powerful, but leadership deficient region is still on this "leadership" puzzle even after Achebe's, 1984, The Trouble with Nigeria, indicating that Nigeria’s trouble had plenty to do with leadership and the lack thereof. That was twenty-five years ago. Looking back in history, it was seven years after Nigeria's ...Read the full article.