Abstract
Soon after attaining independence on October 1, 1960, the newly created nation-state – Nigeria had to wrestle with post-independent political realities. These combined with the legacies of colonial rule, and the prevalence of ethno-religious politics, led the country into civil war in 1967. Since 1960, Nigeria has experimented with different forms of government and achieved some degree of economic growth but is still plagued by the agitation of self-determination in the form of secessionist campaigns, be it the Biafra or the Oduduwa and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). To place the discussion in perspective, the paper reviews the existing literature on the subject and also discusses Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict (PSC) theory as the theoretical base. Upon laying the theoretical foundation, the paper situates and evaluates the agitation for self-determination in Nigeria in the light of PSC. Lastly, the paper concludes that instead of seeking self-determination or territorial disintegration, the polity of Nigeria should historically revert to the practice of congenial and connected regionalism.
Highlights
Since attaining independence on 1st October 1960, de-colonialisation, self-determination, and independence of people under the shackles of foreign rule has been one of the cardinal foreign policy objectives of Nigeria
Nigeria has been grappling with ethno-religious politics, which led the country into civil war in 1967
The study argues that instead of seeking self-determination or territorial disintegration, the polity of Nigeria should historically revert to the practice of regionalism
Summary
Since attaining independence on 1st October 1960, de-colonialisation, self-determination, and independence of people under the shackles of foreign rule has been one of the cardinal foreign policy objectives of Nigeria. The transition and evolution of the country from three regions to nineteen states and further division into thirty-six states has not dampened the agitation for self-determination – secessionist campaign, be it the Biafra or the Oduduwa and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). Some critics situate these agitations as one of the ugly and curse of colonial bequeathed legacies (Ajaebili, 2015; Akiwowo, 1972; Adetiba, 2013; Badmus, 2009; Olasupo, Oladeji, Ijeoma, 2017; Oyeranmi, 2011). The study argues that instead of seeking self-determination or territorial disintegration, the polity of Nigeria should historically revert to the practice of regionalism
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