Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T01:58:08.575Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

23 - Nationalist Ethos, Collective Reformation, and Citizenry Power

from Part V - Reforms and Revolutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2021

Toyin Falola
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Get access

Summary

“Nationalist Ethos, Collective Reformation and Citizenry Power” examines the invention and fragmentation of Nigeria as nation, and the inadequacies and complications that arise from the lack of a proper definition of national identity as a Nigerian. Only the territory has been clearly defined; the people and the governments are at indeterminate extremes of national formation with insufficient integrating ideologies. While nationalism as a patriotic allegiance to national identity is central to the reformation and revolution interventions, it is yet the least explored or emphasized. The collective identification of a group of people as one is a needed impetus that drives national development, democracy, and empowerment. Rather than enhance the integration of the nation, as it is practiced in Nigeria, federalism further divides the nation across majority–minority and regional dichotomies. Just as the government is alienated from the people, the people are also alienated from the state with the utmost preoccupation of scrambling for survival. Such inadequacies are themselves dangerous prompts for succession and (ethnic)nationalism. However, there is the need to perceive strength from the multicultural existence of Nigeria, and not concentrate on the divisive tendency of our diversity. The spirit of inclusiveness fosters peace and development.

Type
Chapter
Information
Understanding Modern Nigeria
Ethnicity, Democracy, and Development
, pp. 561 - 577
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×