Ethnic Politics and National Integration Conflict as a Bane to Nigeria’s Developmental Efforts

Abstract

Since the emergence of the Nigerian state in 1960, ethnic politics have hampered the realization of national integration. It has retarded the possibility of national unity for the social, political and economic development of the country. Every aspect of the Nigerian state has been carved along ethnic lines which inadvertently hindered the quest for national unity. It is against this background that this paper discusses ethnic politics as it effects the drive towards Nigerian unity. It also examines the various programmes and policies instituted by successive Nigerian governments aimed at the realization of the country’s unity; however, the gap between the various ethnic nationalities grew wider and the country is still faced with the challenges of finding unity in diversity after sixty-six years after independence. This paper acknowledges the fact that the issue of ethnicity is not peculiar to the Nigerian state alone and interrogates ethnicity as a factor of disintegration rather than integration. This paper adopts historical and analytical methods of interrogation in discussing how ethnic politics is militating against the drive toward Nigeria’s national unity despite the various programmes and policies of the Nigerian government. The paper concludes that ethnic politics have not only retarded Nigeria’s quest for social-political unity but have also hindered the country’s social-political development. It recommends that the quest for Nigeria’s national unity will only be achieved if the leaders and citizens view themselves as Nigerian rather than having strong consideration for ethnic loyalty in their conduct of social-political engagements. It also recommends that Nigerian politicians should desist from carving policies along ethnic lines there by making ethnicity the basis of Nigeria existence.