The Changing Context of Ethno-Nationalism in Nigeria
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Department of Political Science, University of Lagos
Abstract
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The Nigerian state had experienced a devastating civil war
that accounted for the loss of over a million lives between
1967 and 70; yet the issues that led to that war still resonate
and stare the nation in the face some decades after. Efforts
by successive Nigerian leaders to create a national identity
and foster unity among the diverse groups in the country have
remained a mirage. The occasional frictions among the
groups, which were largely repressed by military
dictatorship, found expression following the return to
democracy in 1999. The reason being that, it is unlikely that
government will succeed in deliberately manipulating
identities unless the new identity offers some reward, either
material or psychological. The surge in ethnic conflicts, both
of old and new forms, fundamentally question the approach
of the government of nation building.
The paper looks at these new conflicts and the fierce ethnonationalist
assertiveness that challenges the legitimacy of
the Nigerian state. We attempt to answer the question,
whether this new ethno-nationalist assertive struggle is
progressive or retardative to nation-building in the Nigerian
context. There is no question that ethnicity is a potential that
can be used or exploited for various causes, some positive,
some negative
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General)