Humanities & Social Sciences 3 (2015 8) 366-376 ~ ~ ~ УДК 314.114 Transcending the Eurocentric Development Paradigms in Nigeria: The Traditional Age Grades in Discourse Ernest Osas Ugiagbe* and Ijeoma Ugiagbe University of Benin Benin-City, Nigeria Received 24.12.2014, received in revised form 10.02.2015, accepted 22.02.2015 The quest for sustainable grassroots’ development by Nigerian government calls for the need to look inwards and re-examine and evaluates our indigenous cultural practices in an attempts to attain the desired development goal. <...> This paper evaluates the indigenous age grade systems in Nigerian societies, and how the traits of the age grades can be harnessed for the attainment of the much desired sustainable development in Nigeria. <...> It argues that the cultural bond and unity of purpose between the members of the age grades a priori make them a veritable tool for transformation of the rural areas. <...> This is because the age grades know their communities more than out-siders and the so-called developers, hence what needs to be done is to empower the various age grades and give them the necessary tools and technical know-how. <...> The development of the rural areas will gradually but surely become a reality in the near future. <...> In 1982, UNESCO produced a generally accepted defi nition of development: Development is a complex, holistic and multi-dimensional process which goes beyond mere economic growth and integrates all the dimensions of life and all the energies of a community; all of whose numbers must share in the benefi ts that result therefrom. <...> The principle therefore proposed that development must be founded on the will of each society and express its profound identity (UNESCO 1982). is Ernest Osas Ugiagbe and Ijeoma Ugiagbe. <...> Transcending the Eurocentric Development Paradigms in Nigeria… Nevertheless the Euro-American model of development based on economic growth is still in vogue and remains very attractive. <...> It is this vein that third world nations (including Nigeria) have been striving to attain the Western level of development engaging their fi nances into great projects which gave birth to white elephants projects and waste. <...> By the mid-1980s, most African countries were under Structural Adjustment Programmes initiated by the World Bank. <...> Sub-Saharan Africa then went through grave economic crisis whose <...>