CENTRE-PERIPHERY / DEPENDENCY THEORY

CENTRE-PERIPHERY / DEPENDENCY THEORY

    This is a theory that explains the structural inequalities between western or developed countries like the United States, Germany, China, France, Canada etc., and the underdeveloped or poor countries like Nigeria, Sudan, Niger, Iraq, Haiti, Kenya, Somalia, Mali, Central Africa Republic, etc.

     This theory or model divides the world into two unequal poles namely: the centre nations and the periphery nations. The centre nations are the advanced or developed countries while the periphery nations are the under developed or poor countries. Hence, the theory explains that the centre nations, through imperialism and colonialism lured the periphery nations into the capitalist world (mode of production) which they (peripheries) do not know how to operate or to capitalize effectively and rationally. Due to the ignorance of periphery nations on how to run or manage capitalist economy, they wholeheartedly depend on the imperialist nations who use them as objects of production.

They are exploited by the centre nations. In other words, they become scapegoats or surrogates to the imperialist nations. Due to the inequalities and anarchy in international politics, developing and periphery nations lack the ability to challenge or question the centre nations’ rational behind the asymmetry or one-sided allocation and distribution of world commonwealth or resources.

Furthermore, the model elaborated different classes that exist in both the centre and the periphery nations.
In the Centre Nations there are:

1.The Centre of the Centre Nations: These are the upper or ruling class. They are those who dictate or control world economic system.

2.The Periphery of the Centre Nations: These are made up of members of the emerging bourgeoisie, working class who mostly depend on their labour power for their livelihood.
In the Periphery Nations there are:

1.The Centre of the Periphery Nation: They are members of the ruling class who use their positions to institutionalize poverty and corruption in their states. According to P.C Umeh as we have already cited; “they are ambassadors of poverty; the corrupt   masters of the economy with their head abroad and anus at home; patriots in reverse order.” They work hand in hand with the centre of the centre nations.

2.The Periphery of the Periphery: These are made up of proletariats or poor working class. They are the poorest class in the periphery nations.

    Furthermore, the model reveals that the centre of the periphery nations is the agent of the centre of the centre nation whose job is to collude with the foreigners in the name of foreign investment and importation of unseen goods to siphon the scarce resource and institutionalize poverty and corruption in their countries. They loot their commonwealth and invest them in foreign countries. They are those who have different foreign bank account worldwide and fly with private jets while their fellow compatriots are dying of hunger. They are ambassadors of poverty in the highest order.

(Written by Eze Andrew Oforma)