Re-Establishing The Middle Class

It is acknowledged globally that every society has a
division of classes that indicate the social and economic standing of the
citizens particularly those who are in the productive class.

Society is divided
into three major classes: upper, middle and lower classes. In some countries
like the United States of America (USA), each class has sub-divisions. Others
have more or less. Class stratification, to a very large extend, depends on the
viability of the economy of a nation.

However, it is sad to note that Nigeria, which once had
three district classes, can no longer talk about class distinction. Owing to
the drastic decline in the standard of living in the country, what used to be
known as the middle class has disappeared? We are now left with the upper and
lower classes. The middle class is completely extinct. The lower class is also
under the threat of being obliterated.

To what do we attribute the anomaly? For me, the entire
problem is caused by the high level of corruption in the system. Corruption
perpetrated by the corrupt upper class prevents the distribution of wealth to
members in the other social classes. This leads to their strangulation and
eventual death.

A nation that is without the middle class cannot pride
itself as an economic giant. This is because the middle class is considered the
productive class. The upper class, in my view, is simply the consuming class.
While the lower class is where the artisans are found.

It, therefore, sounds ironical for any nation to pride
itself an economic giant without the middle class. Nigeria clearly falls in
this category. The Federal Government has always told Nigerians that the
nation’s foreign reserve appreciates without commensurate effect on the
citizens. It is indeed disheartening and even disgusting that our economy
planners think it is how much the nation has in foreign reserve that determines
its economic standing.

Nigeria is not a productive nation but a consuming one. We
have an economy that consumes something as minute as toothpick which can be
produced here. This results in the circulation of too much money in the system.
And this money is particularly in the hands of the upper class. Financial
control mechanism is almost non-existent. That might account for the   extinction of the coin currency.

If our economy must return to its prosperous era, we need
the re-introduction of the middle class. With the presence of the middle class,
the so-called economic growth which the Federal Government touts about will
impact on Nigerians. Without it, any form of economic growth will be a mere
assertion on the paper.

It is sad that industries that once prospered and employed
several labour in the country have relocated to neighbouring countries. Poor
infrastructure and other factors that are not conducive to business are the
factors responsible for the flight.
Truly, the managers of our economy have failed to establish a nexus  between this development and economic growth.
Any industry that closes and re-locates to another country further obliterates
the potential existence of the middle class. When there are no industries for
the middle class to work, how would the economy grow?

That is why the middle class has to be re-established. One
way of ensuring this is through the establishment of industries. We have to
revive moribund industries and attract investors to the country. At this stage,
planners of our economy have to do some studies on how some of the industries
like the textile industry can be established and sustained. Bad roads and poor
electricity are prevailing issues in the country that can no longer be ignored.

Also, the current effort at reviving agriculture has to be
sustained. The reason is that agriculture is not only the largest employer of
labour, it also generates wealth. If the sector is fully developed, it might
re-establish the middle class, among other factors.

Any economic policy of the government at this point in our
existence must be aimed at re-creating the middle class. Indeed, this class has
been in extinction for too long. The earlier it is re-established, the better
for our socio-economic growth.

Ogwuonuonu resides in Port Harcourt.

Frank Ogwuonuonu