THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND HOW NIGERIAN IDENTITY CAN BE RESTORED IN EVERY ADMINISTRATION
ABSTRACT
This project, “the concept of national identifies and how Nigerian identity can be restored in every administration” which is written in clear and simple words is designed to explain the concept of national identity.This national identity which is those identifiable characteristics and emblems that distinguishes vagarious form other nations.
Problems associated with these concepts on our administration and the ways of restoring Nigerian identity are treated in this project.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE NIGERIAN NATION AND THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY
The term ‘nation’ is used to describe a country with the same descent language and history and united under one government. The national identity of any national are those identifiable characteristic and symbols that distinguish her from all other nations the world Nigeria as a nation is the most population country in the continent of Africa with over three hundred ethnic and linguistic groups; a geographical land mass of about 923,768 square kilometers and a bourgeoning population of about 120 million people.
The Nigeria land mass territorial waters and air space are infact the every many nations lying on the west coast Africa along the gulf of guinea, she is bounded on the west by republic of Benin to the East by Cameroom to the North by Nigeria republic and the South by the Atlantic ocean the country is also naturally endowed with enormous natural human and material resources endowments that are capable of making virtually any nation great. This with this the nation has enough capability to maintain and sustain her territorial integrity and indeed also her leadership in African
Nigeria as a nation gained her independence from British colonialists. However, this independence was not achieved so easily rather it was achieved through lone years of colonial struggle by the Nigerian nationalists. They include Herberb Macaulay Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe Chief Obafemi Awolowo Abubakar Tafwaa Balewa Aminu Kanu and many others. Nigeria as one society come into formal being on January 1914 when the Northern and Southern provinces were united name Nigeria was alien because it was coined by Florashow, a non-Nigeria who had been a correspondent for London times Nigeria. But toddy it is generally assumed that the name was derived from the phrase ‘Niger Area’ which emphasized the proximity of the geographic entity to the Niger River.
Those who support the British creation Nigeria argue that the merging of divergent ethnic the merging of fdivergent ethnic groups the carrying out of the geographical land mass the institutionalization of governmental structure and the establishment of economic and social facilities for the whole country are the major factors that brought about the emergency of Nigerian nation.
The apologists of Nigeria pre-colonial existence argue on the existence of ethnic group that make up Nigeria before the British incursion for the cultural similarities among the people of Nigeria, dynastic ties existing among ethnic groups and inter-ethnic economic and social activities are the facts that support Nigeria existence before the British.
The artificial creation of Nigeria are academic exercise aimed at understanding the historical metamorphosis of Nigeria nation before the emergence of the British into the area know as Nigeria the indigenous ethnic groups may have been transforming into a nation or group of nations. The incursion of the British by the second half of the 19th century nearly facilitated the establishment of a limited Nigeria. The tribes of Nigeria with their peculiar characteristics had existed centuries before Christ.
The creation of Nigerian nation did not destroy the people’s peculiar cultural characteristics. The people culture which survived the creation of Nigeria and the newly British social political gave rise to notional identity.
The Nigeria national identity are peculiar indigenous British cultural characteristics and the songs bounds and monument bequeathed to Nigeria after independence national identity also include the spirit of national consciousness among Nigerians
1.2 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY IN OUR ADMINISTRATION
Absence of the spirit of national consciousness among Nigerians.
The problem of national consciousness has been a serious problem to Nigeria both in the past and present administration though partially in the present. In this regards it was obvious in the civilian and military regimes. The order of the day has been mismanagement looting of government treasury power tussle of government treasury power tussle favoritism impeachments etc. consequently not a single administration has ever though of trying to promote and foster the country’s national identity. Inadequate enlightenment and orientation of the citizenry about the concept of national identity.
