JULIUS NYERERE’S UJAMAA’ SOCIALISM VIS-À-VIS DEMOCRATIC RULE IN NIGERIA: A HERMENEUTIC APPROACH

Abstract

A deeper look into Nigeria’s political history, especially evaluating our peculiar democratic government, has simply reflected our inability to bring to light the ideal reality and dividends of true democracy. Nigeria’s democracy has been bemused with many inconsistencies which cripple development in all sectors of the nation’s growth. It is a sneaking fact that despite excessive human natural resources with which we are blessed, we have remained minor in virtually all orbs of our natural life. Nigeria has continued to experience general downward growth instead of progressive growth in all sectors. This scholarly discourse is mainly based on exploring systematically and holistically the thought of socialism in Nigeria’s democratic system of governance an ideology called “Ujamaa” in order to solve the chronic problems of unemployment, poverty, exploitation, and constant political crises. As a philosophical principle, Ujamaa is an attitude of the mind, as Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere termed it. Nyerere’s Ujamaa socialism underscores a way of life expressed by the values of solidarity, responsibility towards one another, and civic friendship in sharing the benefits and burdens of a global society. In this work, the researcher employs the method of hermeneutics to interpret text. This research does not intend to apply all that ‘Ujamaa’ preaches but to address the reasons for his failure and to suggest possible solutions to his existing policies. This work asserts that the Ujamaa principle is based on a sense of mutual responsibility, moral concern for the other, and a sense of relationship, which acts as the unifying factor and is people centered. This work aims to show that if the principle of Ujamaa and the application of good leadership in churches, territorial boundaries, armed forces, economic sectors, educational sectors, political systems, and good leadership in our traditional council in Nigeria’s democratic rule, it could be a guiding principle in search of a common good that will help Nigeria to achieve social harmony, sustainable economic growth, and political stability in Nigeria.