The Nigerian social fabric: a smorgasbord of contradictions

It could be argued that almost 62 years after becoming independent, Nigeria has not yet found a solution to the issue of nation-building. In fact, it appears that centrifugal forces pulling us apart are becoming more dominant over time. The challenge of forming a cohesive nation after independence has frequently sparked discussions and misgivings about the feasibility of the Nigerian project. Nigeria symbolizes a country where the requesites for a successful federation abound but where the emergence of a prosperous nation has turned into a phantom. Growth in Nigeria has been hampered by a growing tendency of mistrust amongst the numerous ethnic groups that make up the nation and by poor governance. Nigeria’s problems, which range from ethnic tensions to insecurity, have challenged the nation’s unity and necessitate the formulation of real and lasting solutions for Nigeria to survive as a nation.

In Nigeria, ethnic identity and consciousness cause interethnic conflicts and present obstacles to the search for a shared national identity. The existence of ethnic identity, as opposed to a national identity, is expressed in all facets of Nigeria’s democratic process, starting with elections, appointments, and the placement of projects where some ethnic groups are given an edge over others. The numerous ethnic groups that make up Nigeria frequently band together on regional or ethnic fronts and insidiously endanger the social stability of the nation since any favour extended to a group on any platform is met with fierce opposition from others. The dread of dominance, where the safety of one ethnic group means the destruction of the other, is a factor in the frequent breakout of ethnic violence. In Nigeria, ethnic rivalries are typically seen in the fight for greater influence over national affairs, economic prospects, and control of resources.

While the numerous rivalries and struggles among these distinct ethnic groups have been attributed to colonial contact, these constantly fractionating factionalisms, however, did not go away at independence; rather, they remain a yardstick for determining who is placed where, who gets what and particularly, ethnicity, favouritism and sentiments of kin and religion are employed in terms of power allocation and distribution of national resources. Job opportunities and admission into higher institutions in Nigeria are marked by ethnic bias and favouritism, and citizens are consequently treated unequally in many ways. Often time, government contracts are awarded to unqualified bidders who are in cahoots with family and friends, which frequently lead to poor or non-execution of projects. 

Ethnic prejudice and favouritism have exacerbated Nigeria’s ethnic division and have been attributed to the country’s low economic performance. Employees who belong to the ‘wrong’ ethnic group, and thus lack proper political representation, are unmotivated at work because they feel alienated by the system, whereas those who have proper political patronage, by belonging to the ‘right’ ethnic group, display enormous arrogance and are always protected by the system. Employees in this latter group, the majority of whom hold senior positions, sometimes lack the requisite skills but keep their jobs still, especially because they face little or no competition from their counterparts. This builds animosity and sets the stage for the disgruntled and politically intelligent citizens to reject the nation entirely. It’s also anti-developmental because it’s akin to corruption, diminishing the state’s ability to function effectively.

Nigeria’s ethnic divisions and religious intolerance make establishing a stable administration difficult. Most of the federal government’s development policies are influenced by the country’s strong ethnoreligious identity, which has over time, resulted in tensions and conflicts in the country. This is exacerbated by the fact that some groups of people see themselves as a “superpower” in the country and believe that maintaining the status quo is essential to the country’s unity. Because of this lack of national identity, rather than agreeing on policies that promote economic growth and development, all ethnic groups continue to focus on grabbing the spoils from oil, the country’s main source of revenue, a sector dominated by the elites.

There is no gainsaying that we have failed to develop a national identity, and that political instability in Nigeria is caused by ethnic and religious intolerance. This is likely due to political leaders’ perceptions of religion and ethnicity as legitimate tools for manipulating society’s vulnerable masses. Given the foregoing, Nigerians should adopt a spirit of tolerance for each other’s ethnic and religious inclinations and channel their loyalty to fostering national integration as a nation bound in freedom, peace and unity!

The Nigerian social fabric: a smorgasbord of contradictions