Dynamics of Ethnicity in the Post-Independence Political Space of Nigeria
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Abstract
Nigeria is not a homogenous nation due to its diverse population and ethnic groupings. This statistic highlights the concerns surrounding ethnicity in Nigerian politics from 1960 to the present day. Due to the diverse composition of the country, the many ethnic groups tend to priorities their own local interests above a sense of national identity. The three dominant ethnic groups make up 57.8% of the total population of the nation. All other ethnicities are considered varying degrees of minority groups. The three largest ethnic groups exerted their control over the national population via the implementation of a regional administration structure known as the tripod system in the 1950s. This system allocated a specific territory to each majority group, serving as the primary setting for ethnic mobilization and competition. This research serves as a reference for addressing the subject about ethnicity in Nigeria. It provides a comprehensive account of the origins of ethnicity in Nigeria, the role of ethnic politics before independence, and the dominance of ethnic groups in the post-independence era. This research utilizes both secondary sources and comprehensive descriptive method.
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