Philosophy lecturers to examine Nigeria’s centenary at UNILAG

Philosophy lecturers across universities will assemble at the University of Lagos between October 15 and October 18 to analyse the state of the country since amalgamation.

Organised by the Nigerian Philosophical Association (NPA), a body of teachers of philosophy, the programme is a biennial international conference that will also examine the current realities of the country in relation to other countries of the world.

Researchers and academics from Cameroun, Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa are expected to attend the conference, themed Nigeria: 100 Years after Amalgamation: Philosophical Issues and Perspectives.

Professor Joseph Agbakoba, president of NPA and University of Nigeria, Nsukka lecturer, said the conference would provide an avenue to discuss critical issues of culture, value systems, political structure and ideology that are facing the country.

“The conference is motivated by the need to look at Nigeria after 100 years of our amalgamation by Lord Lugard in 1914. We can all agree that in Nigeria today, there are fundamental issues of justice for the minority and majority groups,” he said.

“There is also the issue of the justification of the economic model we are running vis our model of capitalism and our traditional culture. We also have issues surrounding revenue allocation.

“Don’t forget that Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914 because of the budget surplus in the South and the deficit in the North. And since then, the South has been paying the bills of the country in terms of the extra money needed to balance the budget and pay for infra structural development.

“The outstanding foreign exchange earners in this regard have been first Palm Oil, then Cocoa and now Crude Oil. This is not say that the north has had no money at all; we must not forget tin in Jos area and the groundnuts pyramids, but they were not enough to gain budgetary surpluses. The conference will look at all these issues and examine them from various philosophical standpoints. It promises to be very intellectually engaging and enriching.”

He further revealed that NPA was collaborating with the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation to promote the teaching of ethics, logic, creative and critical thinking in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.

An annual $5000 prize tagged ‘Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Prize for the Best Philosophy Book in Africa’ would be inaugurated at the conference.

The prize is to be given to the African philosophy scholar adjudged to have published the best book on philosophy.