“Eating the National Cake": Neo-Colonialism and Economic Exploitation in Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People

Author(s)	Dr. Vandana Khajuria
Country	India
Abstract	Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People (1966) offers a no-holds-barred critique of neo-colonialism and economic exploitation in post-independence Nigeria. Through the allegory of "the national cake," the novel explores how local elites, represented by Chief Minister Nanga, collaborate with foreign corporations, such as "British Amalgamated," to perpetuate economic dependency and systemic corruption. This paper looks into Achebe's depiction of the ruinous contrast between the wealth of Nigeria's political class and the poverty of its masses, arguing that the novel presents independence as a hollow victory when colonial economic structures remain intact. The paper looks at some very important events in the novel: Nanga's properties built upon graft; the cynicism of the people, and the ambiguous resolution of the military coup, which show Achebe's warnings about the evils of neo-colonialism. Therefore, this novel suggests that genuine liberation must accompany political independence with economic and moral responsibility.
Keywords	Neo-colonialism, Economic exploitation, National cake allegory, Political satire, Class disparity
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On	2025-07-17
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.51317
Short DOI	https://doi.org/g9tz58

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