ETHNIC CONFLICT AND NATIONAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF OBASONJO’S REGIME)

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Our country Nigeria was created by the British colonialist who performed the task of bringing the various ethnic nationalities together in 1914 to form a single nation state, right from creation Nigeria has been a plural society made up of three major groups of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, while the minority groups include, Efik, Igala, Tiv, Jukun, Urhobo, Ijaw, Ibibio etc, infact, recent studies puts the figure at about 374 ethic groups (Otite, 1990:26).

Thus, consequent upon the cultural heterogeneity of Nigeria, there has aroused though times of different kinds of ethnic conflict.  This conflict had at times, pitched the Hausa’ against the Igbo’s in a very violent conformation.  The introduction of Sharia legal system in the North them cause serious conflict in some state in the North equally in the southern part of the country, the Yoruba and the Hausa have also confronted each violently.

There are also evidence of the various intra-ethnic conflicts witnessed among the minority groups, like the lfe-modake, TIV, Jukun, and the constant clashes that has become a daily occurrence in the Niger Delta regions of the country.  The various conflicts that have taken place shows  that the unity of the country is at stake.

On May 29, 1999, Olusegun Obasajo was sworn in as Nigerian democratically elected President since 1983 four years into the democratic experiment, Nigeria continues to face economic, political and social uncertainties. Flash points of ethnics communal religions and resources conflict persist the economic environment is unstable.  The Niger Delta crisis has get to be resolute, and environmental degradation in oil producing regions remains a problems. Exacerbating this is the public perception that the government has been insensitive and slow in addressing fundamental issues affecting Nigerians such as poverty alleviation resource distribution, infrastructural development and security.  An air of uncertainty continues to pervade the Nigeria society, thereby negating the maximum utilization of both the abundant human and material resources in the country for the total development of socio-political and economic sectors of the nation.  As Rot child (1969:54) said “ethnic conflicts has a clear chance of following the part to a serious imbalance or disjunction between order and development at any level of the social structures.  

Although, various policies has been made to address the problems posed by ethnic conflicts to the country, both by the colonists and the indigenous post colonial leaders. It seems that their main objectives have been to contain and not to eliminate ethnic conflicts.  This is for the mere fact that the Nigerian state has regularly been part and parcel of ethnic crisis, as a result of its ethnically, discriminatory policies and more specifically because of the ethnic coloration of those who controls or dominate it.  Nigeria is at cross read, ethnic crisis has been a great hindrance to our national stability the consequence of breaking the country are hard to imaging likewise the prospect another civil war which is more dreadful sand (1994:10) asserted that ;the greatest problem of Nigeria nationhood is ethnic consciousness.  This study was undertaken against the background of the renewed ethic groups.  Even in the current democratic government where all is expected to contribute to the overall development of the nation.

In this study, we will try to examine the history and the causes of ethnic conflict in the country, as well as highlighting the positive aspect of ethnic variety identity social cohesion and stability.  We will also look at how to harness the difference and similarities among the various ethnic groups in the development of the nation thereby building Nigeria nation state, where no man shall be oppressed or discriminates on the account of which ethnic groups the come from a nation Nigeria.

In chapter one, we shall state the statement of the problem of this study, as well as the objective, significance, the scope of the various literature by scholars in the study of ethnicity and its conflict outcomes.  Chapter three we shall focus on the research  method in used in the process of data collection in chapter four, we will analyze the data collected and testing it against the hypothesis of this study.  And findings as well as marking recommendations on how best to manage or tackled ethic conflict. In the country for a stable nation, that will encourage the development of the socio-cultural, political and economic structures of our country Nigeria.