Ethnicity and National Integration in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects

Student: Bebia Sunday Ransome (Project, 2025)
Department of Political Science
University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State

Abstract

Nigeria is a plural nation comprising over 250 diverse ethnic groups. Over six decades of independence, the country is set to get rid of ethnicity and its attendant challenges to national integration. This study, therefore, examined ethnicity as it affects national integration in Nigeria. The study aims to find out if ethnic chauvinism impedes national integration in Nigeria. The documentary research design was adopted for the study. One of the hypotheses raised in the study was that the struggle for dominance by ethnic groups poses challenges for national integration in Nigeria. The group theory of state was adopted for the purpose of our study. The findings revealed that ethnic chauvinism poses challenges for national integration in Nigeria. Also, that religious intolerance hinders national integration in Nigeria. The major recommendation made in this research work is that government/policy makers should fashion out a deliberate national policy on ethnicity whereby state/local government of origin as often required in the bio-data of applicants seeking for jobs/admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, will be expunged.

Keywords
ethnicity national integration nigeria issues challenges prospects
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