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Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News - Politics - Nairaland

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Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by CHIOMAEZEH: 12:38pm On Oct 01, 2020

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In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani considers the greatest challenge facing Nigeria as Africa's most populous nation marks 60 years of independence from the UK.

How to keep a multitude of ethnic groups united and satisfied? This was the greatest hurdle Nigeria faced in the first decade of its independence - and continues to be the case 60 years later.

Heated national conversations usually revolve around which ethnic group gets what, when, and how. Or how fairly a person from one group was treated compared to one from another.

A major policy to promote systemic equality was launched by the Nigerian government almost four decades ago, but it has led to further balkanisation and bitterness.

Nigeria is home to more than 300 ethnic groups and three dominant ones: the Igbo in the south-east, the Yoruba in the south-west, and the Hausa in the north.

These groups were separate entities before the British merged them into one country that today operate as a federal system - with power concentrated at the centre and distributed among the 36 states and the capital, Abuja.

Struggles for power at the centre or concerns about unfair treatment have at different times led to pogroms, protests and violent conflict, including the civil war of 1967 to 1970, sparked by an attempt by the Igbo to secede and form a new nation called Biafra.

To foster inclusion, the "federal character principle" was enshrined in Nigeria's 1979 constitution.
It includes a provision for public institutions to reflect the "linguistic, ethnic, religious and geographic diversity of Nigeria".
At first, this seemed to appease all sections of the country.

Educational divide
But, today, it is one of the most contentious government policies, with many Nigerians complaining that it has done more damage to our country than good.

Local newspapers regularly feature headlines such as: "Federal Character a curse to Nigeria" or "Group calls for an end to Federal Character".

For starters, "federal character" was not accompanied by any strategy to end the vast educational inequality that has always existed between Nigeria's majority Muslim north and mainly Christian south.
This disparity is the result of a complex combination of factors, such as religion, culture, past colonial policies and, more recently, the Islamist militant Boko Haram insurgency.

Nigeria has 13 million out-of-school children, the highest in the world, according to Unicef, and more than 69% of them are in the north.
As a result, the region has Nigeria's lowest literacy rates, with some states recording just 8%.
Yet, this same region must still fill its quota in public institutions - quite a massive chunk since it has a population of 90 million out of Nigeria's 200 million, and 19 of 36 states, plus Abuja, totalling 20.

"Regrettably, 'federal character' has become a euphemism for recruiting unqualified people into the public service," said Ike Ekweremadu, a former deputy president of Nigeria's senate.

"These employees decrease productivity, weaken our public service, and ultimately render it inefficient."
These unqualified can easily rise above their more qualified colleagues, as "federal character" is also applied when filling senior positions in public institutions.
In addition, rivalry between ethnic groups often leads people to lift as many of their kinsmen as they can once they find themselves in a position to do so.

Northerners have ruled the country for 38 out of Nigeria's 60 years of independence, mostly via military coups.
I have listened to many Nigerians tell bitter stories of working hard without reward while some colleagues simply lounged their way to promotion because their kinsman was in power.

Thanks to "federal character", ethnic solidarity and striving to be in positions of authority tend to take pre-eminence over self-improvement and excellence.

Almost every year, livid social media posts, newspaper columns and parliamentary debates follow the publication of cut-off marks for the exams which determine who gets into Nigeria's top government-run secondary schools.
Students from some states in northern Nigeria sometimes require scores as low as two out of 200 to be admitted, compared to students from states in the south who need scores of at least 139.

'Best team fielded'

Merit and excellence are often sacrificed for diversity when appointing heads of government ministries, as "federal character" also makes it mandatory for each state to have a representative in the president's cabinet.
Many of Nigeria's best brains never get the opportunity to move their country forward with their knowledge and skill ignored because there is a large pool of talent in their state.

When Nigeria won the U-17 World Cup for the fifth time in 2015, critics of "federal character" were quick to point out the lack of diversity in the national team.
Nigeria simply went to the tournament with her best.
Prior to the match, the national coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, was criticised for apparently populating the team with players from his south-east region.


SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54357810

Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by Jafar1: 12:39pm On Oct 01, 2020
United Nigeria is a scam!

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Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by Ugaboy: 12:42pm On Oct 01, 2020
United Nigeria is a fraud
United Nigeria is scam
One Nigeria is Evil

Anyone spreading this phrase should be castrated.

If your Family is devided and you are an elder or member, so u will join the notion

Join #Revolutional Protest and stop making unfruitful noise with your keyboard
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by ThreeEyedRaven: 12:45pm On Oct 01, 2020
It has never been and it will never be. Enough lies
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by dokie: 12:51pm On Oct 01, 2020
Nigeria has to die for "Nigerians" to live.

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by Tarvel(m): 12:55pm On Oct 01, 2020
Can someone please tell me why Nigeria needs to be divided? undecided
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by flyingpig: 1:00pm On Oct 01, 2020
The letters in the word Nigeria deserve social distancing and at best disintegration. If we can't have the system of government that is practised at UK or Canada let us break up.
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by JimmyAdekanbi(m): 1:09pm On Oct 01, 2020
Yes, it is a very beautiful thing to have a people united in diversity. I hope we get it right someday.
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by abouzaid: 1:10pm On Oct 01, 2020
Zoogeria, where human life have lost all value.
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by Racoon(m): 1:18pm On Oct 01, 2020
Nigeria is not and will never be united.
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by dynicks(m): 1:19pm On Oct 01, 2020
I doubt

Imagine a country where intellectuals are being ruled by someone/group of persons of cow mentalities....

Imagine a country where its president openly categorized its citizens as 5%ers and the rest!!...


A country where tribalism has so eaten deep that the so called leaders take it as an advantage....
Re: Nigeria Turns 60: Can Africa's Most Populous Nation Remain United? - BBC News by Mathantics: 1:42pm On Oct 01, 2020
Buhari have divided Nigeria by 97% and 5%.

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