OCHENDO - An African Journal of Innovative Studies (OAAJIS) (Vol. 4 No. 4, 2023)
ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND NATIONAL UNITY: REIMAGINING SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
National unity remains a far cry in Nigeria. An ethno-cultural diversity which is supposed to be a blessing has unfortunately threatened the nation’s unity. While it is convenient for most scholars to blame the nation’s multi-ethnic nature for the current disunity in the country, this paper argues that the problem is not in the ethnic plurality of the most populous nation in Africa but the mismanagement of its diversity. To assess the ethnic chaos in the nation, this article looks at the ethnic situation through the lens of the Social Contract theory. It aims to examine how negatively ethnic diversity has influenced national unity. Recommendations include the launching, by government and other stakeholders, of a robust ethnic and cultural education.
