Citizenship and Nation Making in Nigeria: New Challenges and Contestations Ogoh Alubo* Abstract Since the creation of the Nigerian nation by the colonial powers, the process of state and nation making, or nation building as it is often called, has remained a priority of its various post-colonial governments. This process has, however, remained problematic resulting in an attempted secession and civil war, and the politicisation of regional state formation. These challenges are in spite of the popular discourse about Nigeria as one indivisible nation. While Nigeria’s various components remain under one government, recent experiences of a wave of ethnic and religious violence define the nature of ‘one Nigeria’. Furthermore, many of Nigeria’s constituent units are regrouping under regional ethnic umbrellas, and thereby not only threatening nationhood but also nurturing the possibility of dissolving into ethnic kingdoms. It is argued that Nigeria’s recent experiences of ethnic disturbances are consequences of the failure of its nation-building strategy that has long negated ethnic identity and a true sense of belonging for some ethnic groups. While the constitution has provisions for full and inclusive citizenship, the practice bestows this right on some and denies this to others. I argue that the nature of citizenship must be factored in, especially aspects relating to how and under what circumstances it is inclusive, and I conclude that true and inclusive citizenship holds out the prospects for ending the current ethnic contestations and attendant violence, and for an alternative nation making strategy in Nigeria. Résumé Depuis la création de la nation nigériane par les puissances coloniales, le processus de construction de l’État et de la nation est demeuré une priorité pour les différents gouvernements post-coloniaux. Cependant ce processus a posé un certain nombre de problèmes, allant jusqu’à provoquer une tentative de guerre civile/sécession, ainsi que la politisation de la formation d’États au niveau régional. Ces défis existent bel et bien, malgré le discours populaire présentant le Nigeria comme une nation unie et indivisible. * Department of Sociology, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria; and National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, PMB 2024, Bukuru, Nigeria. E-mail: alubos@unijos.edu.ng Identity, Culture and Politics, Vol 5, Nos.1 & 2, 2004, pp.135-161 © CODESRIA & ICES, 2004 (ISSN 0851-2914) 8 Ogoh_Alubo.p65 12/07/2005, 16:45 135