APPLYING RAWLS’ DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE TO FAIR POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper applies John Rawls’ Difference Principle, which asserts that social and economic inequalities are justifiable only if they benefit the least advantaged, to propose equitable poverty alleviation strategies for Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy. Despite its resource wealth, Nigeria faces systemic poverty driven by historical inequities, corruption, and overreliance on oil revenues, which have concentrated wealth among elites while neglecting marginalized communities. Through philosophical analysis, the study explores how Rawls’ philosophical ideology can reorient Nigeria’s poverty alleviation policies toward justice, prioritizing the needs of the poorest over growth-centric or charity-based approaches, using philosophical analysis, this paper evaluates ethical principles through conceptual comparison and contextual application, aiming to align theory with Nigeria’s empirical realities. The Difference Principle demands targeted interventions, such as precise aid delivery, progressive taxation, land reforms, and enhanced opportunities like education and job programs, to ensure resources and opportunities reach those most in need. Comparing
Rawls’ approach with utilitarianism, which risks neglecting the marginalized for aggregate gains, and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, which emphasizes individual agency but may dilute focus on the poorest, this study highlights Rawls’ unique commitment to prioritizing the least advantaged. Challenges such as elite resistance and corruption are addressed through proposed solutions, including strengthened legal frameworks and grassroots monitoring, to ensure accountability. Drawing on international models, the paper advocates for pilot projects to test Rawlsian policies in Nigeria’s diverse regions. By reframing poverty as a human rights violation, this study pinpoints the ethical imperative of justice-driven policies, offering a transformative vision for Nigeria to align its wealth with the well-being of its most disadvantaged citizens, fostering a fairer society.