THE CLASS SOCIETY: A DANGEROUS TREND IN TODAY'S NIGERIA

Abstract

This article examines the emergence of a deeply stratified "class society" in Nigeria, where the systematic withdrawal of the elite from public institutions- education, healthcare, and infrastructure has dismantled the concept of a shared national community. Through a qualitative desk-based review of scholarly literature, international organization reports, and contemporary media accounts; the study analyzes the manifestations and consequences of this institutionalized segregation. The findings reveal a dangerous multi-sectoral divide. In education, Nigeria allocates only 7.3 percent of its budget (far below UNESCO's 15-20 percent benchmark), creating an "educational apartheid" where privilege determines opportunity. In healthcare, over 20,966 health workers have left the country within one year, and Nigerians spend $1-2 billion annually on medical tourism while public facilities remain in disrepair. The elite's symbolic retreat, exemplified by politicians travelling abroad for children's graduation ceremonies, reinforces spatial segregation and signals that success is tied to escaping Nigeria. The cumulative consequences include eroded social cohesion, declining trust in governance, and normalization of a two-tier citizenship where over 85 percent of Nigerians function within a broken public system. Recommendations include radical budgetary reallocation, legislation banning official foreign medical trips, mandatory public service contributions from private institutions, and revitalization of common-ground infrastructure. The study concludes that Nigeria's stability depends on closing the widening gap between rich and poor through deliberate policy interventions ensuring quality services are accessible to all citizens regardless of income.