Redirecting the mind for positive development: Sam Ukala’s <i>Fumes of Fuel</i> in performance

Abstract

The concept of development is open to a lot of contestation. While it is generally agreed that development implies a going forward, an improvement on something from a previous state, what constitutes development, however, does not quite enjoy such a universal agreement. While some development experts and proponents view development from physical perspectives, that is the improvement in infrastructure, others have a more holistic view of the concept to include the development of the person and institutions. This essay advances that the mind and intellect of man need to be properly directed and developed before any meaningful development can take place in the realm of infrastructure and institutions. Using Sam Ukala‘s play Fumes of Fuel, we argue that a proper orientation of the mind through the instrumentality of the theatre needs to take place in order to engender positive infrastructural and institutional development. The play in performance context is used because it brings out very clearly the issues articulated in the essay.