Problems of Ethnicity in the Nigerian Federal System of Government (Research Paper Sample)

PROBLEMS OF ETHNICITY IN THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
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Nigeria is Africa's most populous state. However, it is also the least united. This division comes from multiethnicity, which splits Nigerians along religion, culture, and language. The British started these issues during the colonial era when they merged the north and the south regions into what is now Nigeria. Even now, the three largest ethnic groups are constantly fighting for power and control of the federal state governments. The result has been ethnic clashes, civil wars, and military coups that threaten national cohesion. In the process, the country has lost numerous lives and suffered extensive economic losses. Thus, ethnicity weakens Nigeria's federalism by causing political, security, and economic issues that risk national peace and stability.
The economy of Nigeria is controlled by three major communities, which restricts growth to the regions these ethnicities occupy. These three ethnic groups are the Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani. Since they are also the majority by numbers, they run most of the state governments. They use this influence to compel elected leaders to divert funds and resources and implement policies that favor them and oppress other ethnicities. The results have been runaway corruption starting at the state level in the employment sector, where openings are mostly reserved for people from these communities. According to Adegbami and Uche, this form of corruption has cost Nigeria more than $500 billion so far and sentenced over 90 million people to poverty. Worryingly, this situation will only continue to get worse as the country becomes even more divided. Eventually, the country's economy will collapse due to rising inflation in all states and widespread poverty. Not only does ethnicity lead to unemployment, but it also localizes development, which slows economic growth.[. Ijeoma Pauline Ogbonne, “Is Ethnicity a Major Determinant of Achieving National and Economic Developments? A Focus on Nigeria,” Skhid 5 no. 157(2018): 41, https://doi.org/10.21847/1728-9343.2018.5(157).148998.] [. Adeleke Adegbami and Charles I. N. Uche, “Ethnicity and Ethnic Politics: An Impediment to Political Development in Nigeria,” Public Administration Research 4, no. 1(2015): 65, https://doi.org/10.5539/par.v4n1p59.]
Ethnic hatred threatens Nigeria's national security by inspiring non-state armed militia groups to form within the states. Boko Haram is a great example of such a group that commits heinous crimes in various federal states. This jihadist group has killed, raped, and kidnapped many people, mainly from minority communities, in the name of ending corruption and spreading Islam. This Boko Haram problem has divided Nigeria religiously even more. Since minority communities lack the resources to defend themselves competently, they have been the prime victims of this endless cycle of violence. International terrorist groups have taken advantage of this worrying state of affairs and started building their networks in the grassroots. Nigeria is battling increased crime. This influx threatens to bring down state and federal governments and destroy the gains made to secure each state and the nation as a whole. Thus, ethnicity threatens national security by perpetuating regional ethnic bloodshed, undermining security in the states, and weakening the three tiers of government.[. Daniel E. Agbiboa, "Federalism and Group-Based Inequalities in Nigeria," Global Centre for Pluralism Accounting for Change in Diverse Societies (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2017), 3.] [. Chinedu N. Mbalisi, “Challenge of Ethnicity, Politics by Identity and Prebendalism to Security and Social Stability in Nigeria, 1999 to 2015,” UJAH 18, no. 3(2017): 90, 92, http://dx.doi./org/10.4314/ujah.v18i3.4.]
Nigeria's multi-ethnicity has caused a concerning human rights crisis. Even though the constitution protects minority communities, federal and state governments hardly follow this letter of the law. Instead, they stand by and watch as the three major communities use their power, influence, and numbers to deny the rest of the over 300 minority communities access to land, public jobs, scholarships, and education. As a result, tensions have been rising at an alarming rate, which has caused violent ethnic clashes in various states. More so, these clashes have killed thousands of people, damaged properties worth billions of nairas, and displaced scores of others, turning them into refugees in their own country, in the Middle and Northern states. Impunity in the state and federal governments has turned Nigeria into Africa's least cohesive nation. The three tiers of government do nothing when ethnic leaders incite people to violate the human rights of minority groups. Thus, ethnicity in Nigeria leads to human rights violations, avoidable deaths, damage, and the displacement of innocent people from their homes.[. Rita Izsák, “Report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Rita Izsák - Mission to Nigeria (17 to 28 February 2014) (A/HRC/28/64/Add.2),” Geneva: United Nations Human Rights Council, 2015: 9, 10, 18