The Military and National Development in Nigeria: A Literary Perspective

Abstract

Critical attention has been drawn to the works written by the civil society who condemn the military particularly for their (mis) rule and military coups in Nigeria. However there are some fine military personnel who have not only fought the historic Nigerian Civil War to keep the country together, they have also distinguished themselves in writing that deserve some critical focus. These writers embrace Marxist literary approach to the study of literature which serves as a veritable tool in sustainable human development and nation building. Literature is invaluable to the growth and development of a nation. It sensitizes the populace to imbibe positive ethos and attacks vices that bring about underdevelopment. The values of democracy, patriotism, justice, development are some of the virtues which literature promote. Thus creative writing helps to direct the citizenry towards adopting a more robust and humanistic tendencies for nation building and motivates and sustains national development. The objective of this paper is to show the role of literature in nation building particularly in shaping the military and its functions and benefits which impact positively on humanity generally. To do this, this study will therefore examine the content and vision of Nigerian writers in order to sharpen and contextualize the subject of this discourse and buttress that creative writings such as is discussed in this study is relevant in national development.

Keywords: literature, military, nation, development,