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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.8
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8695.
Udeagha, N., & Nwamah, G. (2020). Ethno-Religious Sentiments and the Need for Restructuring in Nigeriat. Advances in Social Sciences
Research Journal, 7(8) 17-34.
Ethno-Religious Sentiments and the Need for Restructuring in
Nigeria
Nduka Udeagha
Department of Religion and Cultural Studies,
University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria.
Grace Nwamah
Department of Religious Studies,
Imo State University Owerri, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Ethno-religious sentiments in Nigeria have remained incapacitating
threats to peace, security and the avowed resolve of the state to exist as
one indissoluble nation. Nigeria as a heterogeneous and pluralistic state
is divided along ethnic and religious lines. Some people who champion
conservative elements adopt ethno-religious considerations as
persuasive socio-political opium. They vigorously embrace and endorse
nepotistic proclivities which tend to polarize the Nigerian state and
make governance, development, and unity of purpose appallingly
problematic. Recurring mistrusts and prejudices between ethnic
nationalities and faiths have stunted growth and stifled development in
theFederal Republic of Nigeria. As its methodology to investigating
ethno-religious sentiments in Nigeria and the need for restructuring,
the study relies on content analysis. What is basically and structurally
affecting the entity is the incongruousness of her diverse ethno- religious constituents. There is need for structural and mindset
adjustments that will result inhealthy competitiveness and expectedly,
harness the diverse potentials and usher a new era of socio-economic
development. The paper surmises that restructuring is imperativein
Nigeria because itwill help to cushion the palpable effects of ethno- religious sentiments that have remained the bane of a corporate Nigeria
and national development.
Keywords: Ethno-religious, Sentiment, Restructuring, National development.
INTRODUCTION
Prior to the amalgamation of northern and southern protectorates of the peoples, which facilitated
the incorporation of heterogeneousethno-religious groups under one nation known as Nigeria, the
pre-Nigerian society had been existing as tribal entities with their diverse religious, cultural and
political structures.Thus, as a nation, Nigeria came into existence by British fiat in 1914, following
the amalgamation of different autonomous political entities by Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard. Since that
historic merger event, the existence of Nigeria as a corporate and indissoluble nation has remained
a teething concern. The constituent members especially, the nationalists felt that the long overdue
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 8, August-2020
colonial rule has impeded the expected growth and development of the nation. The wave of change
seriously moved to the direction of a sovereign state of Nigeria. After some time, Nigeria agitated
for self-rule, which culminated in the independence event.
When Nigeria gained her independence in 1960, it was thought that as a sovereign state, they would
be able to harness their wealth of plurality and heterogeneous bequests into a multihued of
sustainable development and a nation bound in peaceful coexistence and unity of purpose.Rather,
it turned out to be the novel genesis of the cauldron that has boiled over the years. Year after year,
it appears to be an ill-fated marriage of strange bed fellows, as Nigerians exhibit undiluted parochial
leanings and interests that are often indicative of the wide gulflines of ethno-religious sentiments.
The self-rule instead of taking the nation to enviable developmental heights, glaringly brought to
the fore, the nadir of ethno-religious sentiments among the constituent members.
About six year into the era of self-rule, the military came into the fray and ferociously seized
poweron 15th January1966 [1].They promised to make Nigeria a better society. But military
interregnum, which was marked with coup d'état and counter coup, distorted the established
federalism that tacitly underlineddecentralization of power.More than ever before, this generated
disparity in the federalism structure of Nigeria and widened the lines of ethno-religious differences.
In fact, the military incursion became so unbearable that it birthed the agitation for separation along
ethno-religious lines.
Agitation for separation first became a disturbing issuein 1966 through the Niger Delta Volunteer
Force (NDVF), formed and led by Isaac Adaka Boro. On February 23, 1966 the NDVF attempted
secession from Nigeria through the declaration of the Niger Delta Republic. However, the secession
could only last for 12days as the 160 men including their leader Adaka Boro, fought against the
Nigerian forces but were roundly overpowered by the federal armed forces. The secession bid was
scuttled [2]. Not quite long the Niger Delta bid for secession was scuttled; Nigeria was again plunged
into a calamitous bloody pool of magnitude proportions, when Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared the
Republic of Biafra in an attempt to allow the easterners to go their own separate way. This resulted
in the Nigerian/Biafran civil war that claimed the lives of over three million Nigerians and the nation
has not fully recovered from the war. They were also stopped with a “no victor no vanquished”
assuasive declaration by the federal military government headed by Yakubu Gowon.
From time to time, various ethnic nationalities have threatened to go their separate ways. That there
are separatist agitations from every bloc of the nation underlines the fact that the structure of
Nigeria is fundamentally defective and needs restructuring. Different ethnic nationalities are yet to
admit the long-unfolded veracity of one nation as the member constituents are still heavy with
spleen of a false nation. Accordingly, Adibe [3] observes that there has been increasing agitations
for the independence of the Republic of Biafra, mostly by Igbo groups from the eastern part of the
country. Among the Yoruba, echoes of separatism come from the call for Oduduwa Republic and to
those of them who still want to decide the continuity of the federating units, they call for Sovereign
National Conference. In the North are intermittent demands for Arewa Republic. In the Niger Delta
is the demand for Niger Delta Republic, this also manifests in the form of call for “resource control”.
What all these agitations point to is that there is a fundamental problem in the foundational and/or
governmental structure of the nation. To that effect, the whole constituent members have a sense