IDENTITY POLITICS AND THE CHALLENGE OF NATION-BUILDING IN NIGERIA: INTERROGATING THE PAST AND RESHAPING THE FUTURE

Abstract

This study investigates the nexus between identity politics and nation-building in Nigeria, focusing on how ethnic, regional, and religious identities have influenced political behaviour and impeded national cohesion. Using historical analysis and a qualitative methodology, it traces the roots of identity politics to colonial administrative legacies and post-independence governance failures. The study explores contemporary manifestations, including separatist agitations and ethnically driven political competition, revealing that identity politics has contributed to Nigeria’s fractured national consciousness. It concludes by advocating a rethinking of identity and nationhood through constitutional restructuring, civic education, inclusive governance, and visionary leadership. These reforms, the study argues, are essential for forging a more integrated and resilient Nigerian state.