The Emerging Pattern of Moral Values and Ethical Behaviour in Nigerian Environment

Abstract

For meaningful developments in all facets of Nigeria’s national life, moral values and ethical behaviours are seen to be inevitable so as to usher in both economic and political developments; therefore, the paper empirically examined the emerging pattern of moral values and ethical behaviours within the context of Nigerian environment. A total number of 189 respondents were made used in the course of gathering data via questionnaire to reveal moral values and ethical behaviours for 2002 to 2012 while secondary data was used to obtain data for 1960 to 1980 as well as 1981 to 2001. From the comparison of the data obtained ranging from 1960 to 2012, it was discovered that as days pass by there is constant and persistent decline in the levels of moral values as well as virtues and ethical behaviours thus leading to manifestation of unethical behaviours which have real human cost. A number of factors were found to be responsible for this in terms of economic and political factors, suggestions were made out of the woods to include promotion of ethics in government and public integrity as well as accountability, independent prosecuting agency to ferret out corruption in government regardless of the rank or position being occupied and introduction of moral education into the curriculum of primary education so as to catch them young.

Key words: Moral Values, Ethical Behaviour, Unethical Behaviour, Development and Virtues.