Nigeria’s Past Still Governs Its Present
FROM AMALGAMATION TO AMBIGUITY — A STATE STILL SEARCHING FOR ITSELF
How Nigeria Became a Country Still Debating Its Own Meaning
NIGERIA’S challenges are not simply failures of leadership; they reflect a state that never fully defined what it means to belong together.
A Country Assembled, Not Agreed Upon
The colonial amalgamation of Nigeria fused diverse peoples without a shared political vision. By the late colonial era, regional elites were already negotiating power rather than unity.
Independence transferred authority but not consensus. The question of “who controls Nigeria” overshadowed “what Nigeria should become.”
Democracy Without Trust
The First Republic exposed the dangers of diversity without trust. Elections became contests of survival, not service. Each region viewed federal power as protection against domination by others.
This environment made democratic breakdown almost inevitable.
Military Intervention and Ethnic Trauma
The military coups of 1966 did not occur in a vacuum. They were the violent release of years of unresolved political tension. Each coup deepened ethnic fear, transforming political disagreement into collective insecurity.
Civil War as a National Failure
The Biafran War was not merely a rebellion; it was a failure of negotiation, empathy, and political imagination. The slogan “No victor, no vanquished” could not erase the war’s psychological aftermath.
Why Nigeria Still Struggles
Post-war Nigeria prioritised stability over healing. Military rule suppressed dissent but failed to address grievances. Oil wealth intensified competition, while institutions weakened under politicisation.
Nigeria’s present — insecurity, distrust, governance crises — is the consequence of postponing hard conversations about power, justice, and inclusion.
The Way Forward Lies in Honest History
Understanding how Nigeria arrived here is not about blame; it is about clarity. A nation that avoids its past cannot design its future.
