claudia_e

Captivating viewpoint Mayowa!

The continuous failures of the Nigerian state cannot be ignored. A country with so much potential given its enormous population and leading economic standing in Africa, time and time again fails to provide security and welfare for its citizens and to meet the expectations of a democratic state. The question of Nigerian unity is certainly a polarising debate and to be completely honest I do not stand on either end of the spectrum, despite this, the deeper I delve into Nigerian history the more I find myself increasingly leaning towards pro-separatism.

Why have I shifted to a more pro-separatism stance? We must all acknowledge that “Nigeria” was a British creation and prior to European colonialism in Africa, Nigeria as a state did not exist. Meaning that there was a form of disrupted harmony, not in the sense that events in West Africa were merely peaceful but rather that tribes, territorial divisions and the distribution of power that was in place was natural and not highly influenced by foreign powers.

The Nigerian Civil War is crucially important in discussions surrounding separatism as it marked a period in which Nigeria was closest to un-doing colonial marks. It also highlighted the issues of violence and ethnic tensions which still prevails in Nigeria with the likes of Boko Haram and SARS police. Nigeria is such a diverse country in terms of ethnic groups, languages and tribes. In some instances, diversity as a concept works to foster societal growth and global awareness, but unfortunately in the case of Nigeria this tribal and ethnic diversity has promoted corruption, tribalism, and violence. Simply put, it has proven to be politically and socioeconomically draining for Nigerian citizens. Therefore it is for this very reason that I cannot deny the dysfunctional nature of Nigerian unity.