Socio-Historical Antecedent of Ethno-Religious Conflicts and Development Issues in Nigeria

Abstract

There has been a popular misconception about the genesis of ethno-religious conflicts and socio- political imbalance between the North and South, the trinity and the rest ethnic groups in Nigeria. Federalism is regarded as the slogan of existing member states whose composition in any case infringes the principle of internal self determination for ethnic groups, or as the legitimate demand of ethnic nationalities many of whom still consider themselves submerged. It is thus legitimate to insist that the character of the Nigerian federation, otherwise known as “the federal character of Nigeria” is historically determined. The ultimate origin of multi- ethnicity lies in our pre-colonial history though it came unmistakably to the surface only after 1946. It at the root of the imperious and insistent demand by each ethnic group, no matter how small numerically or how poor materially. or how backward educationally for a recognized, fair and dignified place in the Nigerian sun. Language has been treated as the easiest and most objective criterion for determining ethnic affiliation. The duality of North and South derives from psychological and irrational hang-over from our colonial past which have transformed an imaginary line on our country’s map into a barrier that only few have been able to scale. It is at the root of the tension and mutual suspicion between the ‘North ‘and the ‘south. This paper attempts to locate this malaise on the unholy and forceful marriage of all hitherto independent kingdoms that today make up the federating units of Nigerian society.