AFRICAN COSMOLOGY AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY PHILOSOPHY: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria as a country is besieged with myriads of problems, prominent among which is the environmental hazards consequence of our gross insensitivity to our natural habitat comprising of both animate and inanimate realities mutually interacting. The mutual order is being violated in Nigeria consequence of urbanization, deforestation, desertification and all kinds of pollution, is as a result of endless desire for food, shelter, recreation and infrastructural facilities. Our attitude permeates our environment - our needs, ideas, aims, ideals, joys and sufferings, as part of the vortex of our existence. Man is therefore tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the environment through the gamut of relationship as viewed from the gigantic historical prism of our cosmic vision. The thrust of this work is to present African Cosmology as a value laden environmental friendly philosophy where everything has a value as a major constituent in the ecological chain. However, the work may suffer some limitation as it could be interpreted as mere rhetoric; nevertheless, this study is novel, in the sense that its theme is very relevant and important in providing a conceptual frame work for better environmental enhancement in Nigeria. Secondly, the work contends that philosophy has something to contribute to national discuss as is the case with conservation of environment, and thirdly it encourages Nigerian philosophers to be more concrete in their analysis of reality for the so much needed national transformation.