-
Essay / Geopolitical Review of Nigeria
Historically, Nigerian ethnic groups had achieved a high level of integration before colonial conquest. Long-distance trade, migratory movements and socio-economic relations between groups have contributed to making ethnic and cultural integration an integral part of the evolution of modern Nigeria. Obafemi Awolowo's view that "Nigeria is a geographical expression and a country artificially created by the British" has been criticized on the basis of historical realities. This is linked to the country's diverse cultures, languages, histories, religions and worldviews. Historically, nations have emerged from diversity and continued to adapt to historical and political processes. The evolution of modern France and Germany illustrates this process. In the case of Nigeria, precolonial ethnic migrants were in many places integrated and assimilated into their host communities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe geopolitical entity defined as Nigeria has remained the most enduring hangover of British colonialism. Before the popular merger of the northern and southern protectorates in 1914, each of the more than 250 ethnic groups that make up the Nigerian state existed to some extent independently and distinctly in their culture and tradition, but they did not interact with each other favorably. What happened in the 1914 episode of the unification of the North and South was the reminiscence of a marriage, which may not be so pleasant, but from which it is difficult to divorce. Therefore, the British demonstrated their political savvy by introducing federalism. However, the 1914 exercise did not achieve the desired integration and intergroup relations. Arising from the inherent problems of federalism or federal arrangement, the principle of federal character was introduced as a therapy. In addition to economic decline and associated problems, Nigeria and Africa as a whole suffer from persistent conflicts and security problems that have led to hostile intergroup conflicts. relationships. Osei-Hwedie (1998) also stated that multipartyism accentuated ethnic and regional divisions that intensified and consolidated under colonialism. African conflicts often have national and regional causes. This is due to issues related to social, ethnic, cultural and religious differences in the context of huge inequalities in the distribution of power, wealth and other resources that make questioning of the status quo inevitable. According to Deng and Zartman (1991), the struggle against colonialism brought together different ethnic groups against a common enemy and thus, for a time, differences were put aside as in Nigeria, because a common front was crucial in the struggles nationalists. The people have rethought and sharpened their demands, moving from purely social and economic demands to political demands refocused on relative autonomy and self-determination of their ethnic areas within the context of the Nigerian federation. All this has resulted in a circle of conflicts between the government and the people and between communities and other communities and their groups. Ethnicity has been perceived by various sociologists and anthropologists as a very restrictive concept. It is a basis either for national separation or for political subordination. In practice, ethnicity tends to be used loosely to refer to commonalities in language, religion, identity, national origin and even”.