TRADITIONS OF ORIGIN OF SELECTED ETHNIC GROUPS IN NIGERIA: A PANACEA FOR NATIONAL INTEGRATION PEACE AND SECURITY

Abstract

The search for national integration, peace and security has continued to occupy the front burner in any meaningful discourse on national development. In Nigeria, this is largely informed by the nexus between ethnic identity and competition in distribution of national resources and power. This has further spurred tensed arguments, disputes and violence among the over three hundred ethnic identities in the country, thus posing overwhelming security and development challenges. A great majority of scholars often suggest solutions to these challenges in resource allocation, federal character, devolution of power, just to mention a few. This paper interrogates the traditions of origin of selected ethnic identities with a view to resolving major identity crisis. This would thus, engender peace, national integration and development. It is a position of this paper that the traditions of origin of Nigerian ethnic identities such as the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Bini, Kanuri, Igala, Nupe, Itsekiri and many others present a platform for peace, unity and national integration. This is discernible from the high degree of interconnectivity or similarity among these groups as reflected in their traditions of origin. This would undoubtedly address myriads of security and development challenges facing Nigeria in the twenty-first century. This research gap would be addressed from an historical point of view using both primary and secondary sources.