Nationalism in the New World: An Assessment of Nigeria’s Nationalist Drive Towards Independence

Abstract

Nationalist movement in Nigeria or the Nigerian nationalism became formally felt after the end of British colonial rule within the country. The purposes of the movement were majorly to achieve both political and economic emancipation for the disparate groups who had come together courtesy of the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates in 1914, from the British colonialists. Its origin or early segment dates back to the 19th century wherein resistance struggles have been hooked up against the British penetration and activities in different territories that make up the modern-day Nigeria. This paper, consequently, examines the impacts of this movement on the actualization of Nigerian independence. A number of these affects, as discovered in this paper, have endured to bedevil the political environment of Nigeria in her efforts towards gaining political independence. Nigerians were very united in mobilizing all available resources to dislodge the colonialist that was the national enemy of the country without prejudice. It has been recommended among others that the resurgence of latest nationalist spirit in Nigerians within the face of the neocolonial global exploitations is a necessity and the battle for freedom needs to be won through the modern agents by the 21st century’s nationalists.