Ethnic Politics and the Challenge to National Integration

Abstract

This paper examines the political implication of ethnic politics and the impact on national integration in Nigeria. Ethnic politics has been at the bane of staggering development and discordant unity in Nigeria due to sentimental selective preferences. For a country with over 200 million people, and more than 500 ethnic groups speaking over 1,300 dialects, it is impossible not to have hurdles on the path to national integration but managing the challenges to promote national integration is a prerequisite for development and national growth. From leadership tussles to resource allocations, the country has been stroking the bows of ethnocentric perspectives for decades. British colonialism introduced federalism through Bernard Bourdillon and the colonialists targeted the country for its natural resources, gaining dominance through the legitimate commercialization of indigenous products such as cotton, palm kernel, cocoa, groundnuts, and palm oil. During colonialism, the British interest in Nigeria’s resources than its unity fostered a disparity that encouraged, and this left a crevice along its path to growth and development. The paper recommends Prioritizing national interest in lieu of personal and sectional interest as a critical factor in curbing the menace of ethnic politics in Nigeria.