Opinion - Though for different reasons and from different perspectives, most Nigerians are united in accepting these tripartite issues as apt in defining the soul and essence of contemporary Nigeria. The first is that 63 years after independence, we are not yet a nation. Our journey to nationhood has been tortuous, painful, and often bloody. We quickly default to ethnic fault lines at the slightest disagreement. And many of us look at Nigeria from the narrow prism of ethno-religiosity. The second is the problem of
Though for different reasons and from different perspectives, most Nigerians are united in accepting these tripartite issues as apt in defining the soul and essence of contemporary Nigeria. The first is that 63 years after independence, we are not yet a nation. Our journey to nationhood has been tortuous, painful, and often bloody. We quickly default to ethnic fault lines at the slightest disagreement. And many of us look at Nigeria from the narrow prism of ethno-religiosity.
Furthermore, these issues have been complicated by the nascent challenges of modernity and a youth bulge that threatens the very foundation of our society. The impact of modernity has been profound and multifaceted in our communities. This complex social, economic, political, and cultural change associated with industrialisation, urbanisation, technological advancement, and globalisation typifies modernity.
On nationalism, nation-building, and ethnic identity, the genesis of our problems as a country was the failure of the founding fathers to fight for independence as a united national elite. They instead engaged the British as an ethnic factional elite. The consequence was divisive politics and the calamity of war. From 1970, the military tried nation-building through structural changes, especially state creation, to replace powerful regions.
On power, governance, and democracy, Nigeria's political landscape has evolved over the years. The emphasis has more to do with the format and structures of power and democracy than on developing a culture of democratic principles, ideals, and civility. Whether it's a parliamentary or presidential system, we have been more concerned with form than content.
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