Nigerian identity crisis: what’s behind the growing insecurity and separatism?

Abstract

There is a debate on whether ethnicity is a tool or the driver of intergroup conflict. Arguably, African ethnic conflicts emerge from colonization, struggle for political power and resources, lack of shared national values and identity. Conceptually, this article analyzes how colonization is linked to African ethnic crisis, how ‘ethno-social identity’ is conceptualized as well as the relationship between ethnic polarization, ‘ethnocorruption’, insecurity, and separatism, with a focus on Nigeria. The article evaluates the causes of state dysfunctionality and identity dilemma of the ethnocentric federalism reflected in the ‘Who I am of the population’. There is a crisis related to the state of origin (indigenes and non-indigenes), as well as the ethnicity identity dilemma of ‘I am Hausa’, ‘I am Fulani’, ‘I am Yoruba’, ‘I am Igbo’, etc. A minority which can be classified as ‘tribeless elites’ dominate the political space. In recent times, the country has become embroiled in kidnapped democracy, insecurity, and corruption. There are more worrying conflicts–Fulani herders and non-Fulani farmers’ clashes over arable land, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and Unknown Gunmen occurrences–which threaten the unity of the country. The socio-economic underdevelopment and breakdown of moral values have forced thousands of young people to join the Obidient movement or ‘Japa’ overseas.