Socio-economic Impediments of Development in Africa: A Case of Nigeria

Abstract

The rise of individualism in Africa appears to stem from a sense of despondency linked to the failure of various policy initiatives to enhance communal welfare, highlighting the importance of socio-economic development. This investigates the socio-economic barriers to development in Nigeria. Utilizing the Chi-square technique, data were analyzed from a survey based on questionnaires distributed among selected units using a multistage random sampling method. The findings of the study indicate that dependency mentality, despondency, and a survivalist culture all have effect on development.  Notably,  while despondency and the survivalist culture show significant effects, the dependency mentality's effect was found to be negligible. This research contributes to existing literature by pinpointing key socioeconomic barriers to development which encompass a range of other factors, establishing the connection between social and economic obstacles to development and making finding effective solutions easier. As a result, the study advocates for the implementation of re-orientation programs as part of localized, result-oriented development strategies aimed at effectively addressing the pressing economic challenges facing the nation, while also transforming public mindset