Journal of Philosophy and Theology

Moral Disorientation and Nigeria’s Vision 20-20-20: Illusions, Contradictions and the Case for Indigenous Values and Social Ethics
Dr. Amaechi Udefi

Abstract
“Knowledge is power”, according to Francis Bacon (1561-1626). This can be interpreted to mean that possessing knowledge, which Socrates equates with virtue, is fundamental to the acquisition and control of power which represents intellect, cognition, rationality, judgment etc. through the instrumentality of training whether formal or informal, that is, education. Educational system since the inception of Nigeria as a sovereign nation in the 1960’s may have recorded phenomenal growth in terms of investment, infrastructure, qualitative man-power training. However, from the middle of the 1980’s to date, there has been a systematic decline and plummet in the public education sector at all levels in terms of funding and production of high calibre man-power and research needed for the transformation and modernization of the country. Sadly, the successive governments, both military and civilian, have failed to muster any sincere commitment to the development of the sector. The current rot and decay in the public education is a byproduct and manifestation of long years of neglect by the leadership, even when they proclaim during their inaugural addresses that education is a priority in their development agenda. President Goodluck Jonathan, appropriating aspects of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s 7-point agenda, has at different fora repeatedly, claimed that education is top in his transformation agenda and vision 20-20-20 which in his wisdom, will see Nigeria becoming one of the 20 giant economies in the world by the year 2020, of course with excellent educational system. The first intent of this paper is to examine the current challenges besetting our educational system, most which are moral and physical infrastructure against the background of the vision. The second motive of the paper is to expose the Nigerian political environment and society to the service of salient positive values that are immanent in our traditional societies, which social ethics articulates for modern life. The paper concludes by saying that though ethics has universal application, yet its relativity to a particular culture cannot be suppressed.

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