Oil, Ethnicism and Sustainable National Integration in Contemporary Nigeria

Abstract

This chapter examines the nexus between oil, ethnic nationalism and the quest for national integration and political stability in Nigeria. This chapter argues that the competition for the control of oil resources has been a major causal factor in the rise of ethnic nationalism, which is further heightened by the state’s coercive conflict management strategies and poses grave implications for Nigeria’s quest for national integration. In conclusion, the fundamentalist religious movements or ethnic nationalists may be likely draw on a mix of cultural symbols as well as those of economic inequality to express their deep-seated frustration and desire, often demonstrated forcefully, for equity, fairness and good governance that can usher in the much-anticipated dividends of democracy for the marginalised masses.