Conflict, Religion and Ethnicity in the Postcolonial Nigerian State

Abstract

The political climate of Nigeria continues to exhibit the transformation of ethnic groupings into self-conscious identities that see themselves as different from the others. Consequently, and despite a decade of a new democratic experiment, there is still a clamour for the creation of more and more separatist nationalisms while Nigerian nationalism is being actively de-created every day. This paper examines the impact of religion and shows how religion has been used to foster ethnic nationalism. Having analysed and identified religion as the root cause of conflict and instability in Nigeria, the paper concludes that if Nigeria is to survive as a sovereign state, either each state should have its own constitution where a state is free to include religious laws or religion should be excluded from state affairs. The paper further concludes that religious intolerance and associated conflicts could be curbed in Nigeria if true federalism were allowed to prevail. In a democratic system, especially with the federal system of government which Nigeria is trying to run, people need the freedom to express their true national consciousness. It is this process that will enable each of the states to identify their stakes within the one Nigeria.

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