‘ZIK OF AFRICA’- AN APPRAISAL OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE TO AFRICAN SOCIO-POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (Published)
The decolonization process in the last century led to the emergence of nationalists in many African states. In Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe emerged as a foremost nationalist, and later became the first indigenous Governor-General, first indigenous President/ head of State and Commander in-Chief of the Armed forces of immediate post-independent Nigeria, and participated in active politics up till the Presidential elections of 1983. Although, Nnamdi Azikiwe was a Nigeria by birth, but his contributions during the anti-colonial struggles was beyond Nigeria. He acquired his higher education laurels in the United States, began his journalism career in Ghana, while his intellectual contributions during the anti-colonial struggles positively influenced many people in Africa, especially in the Anglophone states. Against this backdrop, with the use of diverse secondary sources, this paper appraises the contributions of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to African socio-political and economic growth during the twentieth century. The paper concludes after a thorough appraisal that emerging African leaders should understudy the socio-political and economic philosophy of the late sage, which if well implemented could bring about the much desired good governance and sustainable socio-political growth in the continent before the end of the 21st century.
Keywords: Nationalist, Neo-walfarism, New Africa, Pan-Africanism, Zik of Africa