The roots of division, activism, and civil society in Nigeria

Abstract

Throughout its more than a century history, Nigeria has had a checkered story of ethnicity, divisions, violence, and mutual suspicions. Nigeria’s experience with colonialism engendered a Western-oriented activism and metamorphosis of civil society, which have affected governance in diverse ways. Existing civil society is nonetheless affected by contextual factors such as patronage, corruption, and ethnicism, with internal democratization of civil society groups a major factor that could advance their contribution to governance and local development. Nigeria, however, remains at a crossroads, due to deep-seated ethnic animosity as well as the failure of contemporary activism and civil society to redeem the nation from schismatic ills rooted in its colonial foundations.