A DISCOURSE ON THE EMERGING ISSUES IN HEIDEGGER’S IDEA ON TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper offers a reflective discourse on the emerging issues in Martin Heidegger’s philosophical conception of technology, with a specific focus on the implications for Nigeria’s technological advancement. Heidegger’s thought moves beyond instrumental and anthropological definitions of technology, situating it within the broader context of Being and revealing. His concern lies in how modern technology reduces the world and humanity to mere resources, perpetuating what he terms the “forgetfulness of Being.” In fact, everything is reduced to standing-reserve (Bestand) for human exploitation, manipulation and optimization. In this sense, technology leads to objectification, desecration, demystification of reality – every aspect of reality is subjected to optimum violent investigation, manipulation and optimization. This raises profound metaphysical and ethical concerns. While his critique is rooted in a European metaphysical tradition, its relevance to post-colonial, technologically dependent societies like Nigeria cannot be overlooked. This paper argues that Heidegger’s abstract ontological framework presents both insights and limitations when applied to the Nigerian context, where technology intersects with cultural identity, development, and socio-political realities. Drawing on African communal ethics, indigenous knowledge systems, and contextual philosophical analysis, this paper advocates for a meditative and culturally sensitive approach to technology that prioritizes human dignity, ethical innovation, and sustainability. Ultimately, it calls for a synergy between philosophy and policy to ensure Nigeria’s technological growth does not fall into the very dangers Heidegger cautions against. This paper adopts the analytic method of philosophical investigation.