Managing Multicultural Diversities in Nigeria: What Role for the Mass Media?

Abstract

Nigeria, a country with about 150 million people, is a multicultural society along geographical, religious, ethnic, and political ideological identities. These multicultural diversities have played out to create an unfortunate situation of hatred, distrust, cut-throat rivalry, animosity, intolerance, and violent conflicts among the diverse groups. These challenges are gradually destroying the cherished values of peace and unity upon which the corporate existence of Nigeria rests. Thus, the country is gradually heading towards state fragility and disintegration. This calls for serious efforts at addressing the challenges posed by multicultural diversities in Nigeria. The mass media are an important social institution in these efforts, if properly utilized. This paper, a prescriptive discourse, examines ideal roles for the mass media in facilitating a harmonious relationship among the diverse cultural groups. The prescriptive discourse focuses on the exigencies of peace journalism; community broadcasting; training and re-training of media workers in peace/conflict, multicultural, ethical, and moral issues; and the institutionalization of a democratic and participatory system of communication. To complement these strategies, the paper advocates for a radical reconstruction of the entire Nigerian society to address the hydra-headed challenges of corruption, poverty, weak institutions, and lost moral and cultural values.