A PROFESSOR of Development Sociology at the Department of Sociology in the University of Ibadan (UI), Olanrewaju Olutayo, has said Nigeria cannot develop if it continues to imitate development goals of developed nations.
Olutayo spoke yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while presenting the 429th inaugural lecture of the institution, titled: Sabiticate is Equal to What?
The varsdsity don noted that Nigeria had been preoccupied with the colonial mentality of copying other countries rather than develop its development needs and use indigenous resources as well as knowledge systems to drive it.
The varsity don described as balderdash the placement of Nigeria as 152 out of 158 countries in the human development index.
According to him, development is never by comparing a nation with another based on the yardstick set from outside.
Olutayo urged Nigerian academics to produce relevant knowledge to transform the nation.
The expert said the usefulness of earning a certificate is not to hold the paper but to use the knowledge acquired to impact the society.
He added that if Nigeria wanted to develop, the federal and state governments as well as local governments must set their goals and develop the means to achieve them.
Olutayo said: “In our self-reappraisal, as is often mistaken to be true, it is important to establish that development is never about comparing one nation with another. As such, the human development index placing Nigeria in the 152nd position out of 158 (UNDP 2016) is balderdash. Each nation, wanting to develop, should set its own goals and develop means through which it plans to achieve such. Consequently, contextual analyses come to the fore rather than the generalisations for development.”
The professor said the Nigerian chewing sticks are medicinal for treating dental diseases, liver diseases, sickle cell anaemia and blood pressure than the toothpaste.
Olutayo regretted that Nigerians demonised indigenous and more effective natural endowments of pre-colonial Nigeria.
The professor said the same people now buy herbal products from Asian countries while rejecting the more effective ones which effectively cure the paople’s health challenges.
Since what is accepted in a place is a taboo in another place, Olutayo said there is no universal way to develop.
Rather, he emphasised, countries should develop their own development goals and pursue them.
The expert regretted that the reason for Nigeria’s underdevelopment “is that we are not independent and still conduct our businesses with colonial mentality”.
“The recommendation since the colonial period till date has been to learn how to develop from those who had ‘developed’, as if they are no longer developing. We are being brainwashed to see ourselves in the garb of others without taking cognisance of our historico-sociological experiences.
“As the Yoruba saying goes: Eni ti ko ba mo b’egbe oun se la, a sa’re ku. (Anyone without knowledge about his colleague’s source of prosperity will tarry till death).