Abstract
Political leadership is an important tool for the promotion of national development and should not be left in the hands of ignorant, uneducated or semi-educated fellows. The paper examined the concept of “Philosopher King” as perceived by Plato and its implications for Nigeria’s political leadership and national development. The concepts of philosopher king, political leadership and national development were examined. The paper drew the conclusion that Plato’s idea of philosopher king has implications for Nigeria’s political leadership and national development and can be used to address the leadership and developmental challenges in Nigeria. The paper also concluded that there will be no national development if leadership is not placed in the hands of highly educated and knowledgeable Nigerians who can make sound and rational decisions for nation building. Based on this, the paper recommended the amendment of the constitution of Nigeria to give room for highly educated and knowledgeable Nigerians to oversee the affairs of the Nigerian State.