Reconstructing a Nigerian Theory of Justice: Beyond Rawls and Nozick Towards an African Political Philosophy

This study reconstructs an original Nigerian theory of justice, drawing on African communitarian philosophy, indigenous governance traditions, and a critical engagement with Rawlsian and Nozickian liberal theories to develop a context-sensitive political philosophy of justice for the Nigerian federal context. Liberal theories of justice from Rawls and Nozick have dominated global political philosophy but have been criticised for their individualist premises and cultural parochialism, yet no systematic Nigerian philosophical alternative has been developed in the literature. A philosophical analytical and comparative design is employed, combining systematic critical analysis of Rawls, Nozick, and their African critics including Kwame Gyekye and Thaddeus Metz with a qualitative study of 35 interviews with political philosophy academics, traditional governance practitioners, and civil society justice advocates across the South East, North Central, and South West geopolitical zones. The study employs conceptual analysis, internal critique, and constructive philosophical synthesis as methodological tools. Findings reveal that Nigerian conceptions of justice embedded in Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa philosophical traditions share a communitarian structure that prioritises relational equity, procedural dignity, and restorative correction over distributive individual entitlement. The study contributes an original Nigerian communitarian theory of justice that engages critically with liberal theory while proposing philosophically grounded African alternatives. Keywords: theory of justice, African political philosophy, communitarianism, Rawls, Nigerian philosophy.