Journal of Philosophy, Culture and Religion www.iiste.org ISSN 2422-8443 An International Peer-reviewed Journal Vol.36, 2018 24 Confronting the Challenges to Development in Nigeria with Lessons from Old Testament Prophecy GERALD EMEM UMOREN Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Uyo Abstract The concern for development is the plight of any patriotic citizen anywhere. However, in Nigeria, in spite of recurrent claims and efforts, very disturbingly, national development has continued to be elusive. Today, the importance of national development calls for renewed efforts to address its main challenges. In response to this need, the ongoing debate on the role of different disciplines in combatting the challenges of national development is timely. While religion generally would offer useful contributions to national development, the content of the prophetic corpus of the Old Testament, which revolves around the religio-civic development of Israel, proposes to offer more useful hints towards the development of Nigeria. This paper is therefore a specific response to the ongoing search for answers to the national development question. Following a traditionally expository method, this paper first seeks to discover the main challenges to development in Nigeria and then, exegetically drawing relevant lessons from the prophetic corpus of the Old Testament, desires to confront such growing challenge. The hope is that, the application of such Biblical wisdom to confront political issues would not only result in a more responsible civic arrangement towards the desired national development, but will also generate further scholarship in this area. Keywords: Development; Nigeria; Old Testament; Prophecy; Corruption. 1. Introduction Every country desires to grow from strength to strength in every aspect of life. This growth is judged in political standards as ‘Development.’ This is the reason some nations are judged to be ‘Developed,’ some ‘Developing’ and others ‘Underdeveloped’. National development is the joint responsibility of everybody in the polity: leaders and followers. National development is always evident in the daily life style of the citizenry. It always shows and it is felt. However, there are always challenges to this desired situation and these challenges differ from nation to nation. Nigeria, as a nation has been struggling with a lot of challenges to national development. Despite the enormous resources the country is endowed with, the level of development is not matching the political capacity of the nation. This has been a great problem not only to the nation but also to the international community and even in the face of the heated debate on national development, the proffered way-forward has not yielded appreciable results even up till now. In the ongoing search for answers to this disturbing situation in Nigeria, this research begins by identifying, not just the challenges but specifically the major ‘root-generator’ of these challenges to our national development. Convinced of the thesis that objective religion builds the nation, and, believing that a similar political struggle for national development by a theocratic society like the Old Testament Israel, as evident in the prophetic corpus of the Christian Scripture, could meaningfully serve the Nigerian situation and offer lessons and practical solutions, we intend, in the cause of this paper to confront the challenges to national development in Nigeria with possible lessons from Old Testament prophecy drawing conclusions and making recommendations for a better experience of Development in our country Nigeria. 2. Explication of Terms In order to appreciate better the import of this work, it is important to explain the key terms within the context of their usage. Going by the Title, the three major terms here are CHALLENGES, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT and OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY. Apart from their unique definitions at this point, the contextual appreciation of these concepts will definitely entail some delimitations. 2.1 Challenges: By challenges, we mean those factors which tend to stand against the efforts made towards achieving a desired goal. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines challenge as: “a new or difficult task that tests somebody’s ability” 1 In our own case, challenge here means a difficult situation that thwarts one’s resolve to achievement. 2.2 National Development: Development ordinarily means growth. It is “the gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced 1 A. S. HORNBY, (2010), “Challenge” in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, UK: Oxford, p. 230.