By Olakunle Agboola – Nigeria has grappled with tribalism for decades, a deep-rooted issue that often stirs intense emotions and polarizes citizens along ethnic lines. With over 250 ethnic groups, including the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo as the largest, this diversity should ideally serve as a pillar for unity and cultural richness. However, ethnic divisions are often exploited by those in power to deflect from their inadequacies, wielding tribalism as a convenient scapegoat for issues of leadership incompetence. The reality is that many of the nation’s chronic issues, from corruption and economic stagnation to insecurity and infrastructural decay, are more directly tied to a failure in leadership than to ethnic divisions.
Tribalism and Nigerian Politics
The roots of tribalism in Nigeria are partly historical. During the colonial era, British rule divided Nigeria into three regions based on dominant ethnic groups, fostering a political environment that often prioritized ethnic identity over national unity. Upon independence in 1960, the politics of ethnic loyalty continued, with political parties formed around ethnic lines rather than shared ideals or national interests. This fragmented approach set the stage for divisive politics, where leaders prioritized the interests of their ethnic groups over national progress.
Since then, tribalism has been a recurring theme in Nigeria’s political narrative. Politicians often invoke tribal affiliations to rally support, portraying themselves as defenders of their ethnic group’s interests against perceived threats from others. However, rather than protect or uplift these groups, many leaders use these divisions to mask the lack of tangible progress and accountability in governance.
Tribalism as a Tool of Political Manipulation
Nigeria is a complex political landscape where tribalism has become a potent tool of manipulation. Leaders leverage ethnic affiliations to create artificial divisions among the populace, making it easier to gain and retain power.
Political campaigns are often laced with divisive rhetoric, with candidates emphasizing ethnic pride and loyalty to deflect from policy weaknesses or lack of a clear vision for national development. This approach is frequently used to deflect public scrutiny on issues like corruption, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.
When public criticism mounts over unmet campaign promises, leaders shift blame to other ethnic groups or even claim that “their” people are being sidelined or victimized by another tribe. For example, if an administration fails to deliver on key infrastructural projects, it may attribute this failure to obstruction by members of other ethnic groups, distracting from the government’s own lack of strategic planning or mismanagement of resources. In doing so, leaders divert the public’s attention from their shortcomings, framing the problem as an ethnic conflict rather than a governance failure.
Tribalism and the Issue of Corruption
Nigeria’s corruption crisis is deeply entwined with tribalism. When leaders are accused of embezzlement or misuse of power, they often frame these accusations as attacks against their ethnic identity rather than legitimate criticisms of their conduct. By casting themselves as victims of ethnic discrimination, they aim to shift the conversation away from their own actions, leveraging tribal allegiances to garner sympathy and evade accountability.
The result is a culture of impunity, where corrupt leaders evade justice by hiding behind ethnic solidarity. They promote a narrative that any attack on their character is an attack on their ethnic group, often triggering tribal loyalty that undermines the quest for accountability. This has entrenched a cycle where leaders avoid consequences, enabling the very corruption that stifles Nigeria’s development.
A striking example is the backlash from different ethnic communities when a leader from their tribe is charged with corruption. Instead of uniting against corruption, communities rally in defense of the leader, fearing the loss of influence their ethnic group holds in the political sphere. Such dynamics embolden politicians to continue misusing resources, knowing they can deflect accountability onto ethnic sentiment.
Ethnicity as a Distraction from Policy Incompetence
Beyond corruption, tribalism also serves as a distraction from broader policy failures. Nigeria faces numerous policy challenges, from addressing widespread poverty and unemployment to improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure. However, many leaders lack the technical expertise and strategic foresight required to tackle these issues effectively. Rather than acknowledging these limitations, they often blame Nigeria’s diversity, arguing that managing such a multi-ethnic society is inherently difficult and justifying their failures as inevitable in such a “complex” nation.
This narrative is misleading, as Nigeria’s diversity should not be an impediment but an asset in policy development. Effective leadership should harness diverse perspectives to create policies that reflect the needs of all citizens, regardless of ethnic background. Instead, tribalism is used to explain away poor economic strategies, weak educational policies, and mismanaged healthcare systems. This allows leaders to avoid being held accountable for their lack of vision and unwillingness to engage in long-term, inclusive planning.
The Consequences of Weaponized Tribalism
The consistent use of tribalism as a political tool has deepened Nigeria’s ethnic divisions, creating an environment where distrust between communities grows. This divisiveness has exacerbated socio-political tensions and sparked violent clashes, such as the numerous inter-ethnic conflicts and clashes between pastoralist and farming communities across the country. Rather than working to mediate and resolve these issues, leaders frequently exploit them to their advantage, further polarizing the public and avoiding addressing the root causes of these conflicts, such as resource management and economic inequities.
Additionally, the emphasis on tribal loyalty stifles the emergence of meritocracy in leadership. Instead of electing leaders based on competence and a track record of performance, people are swayed by tribal allegiances, often voting for candidates from their ethnic groups irrespective of their qualifications. This cycle undermines Nigeria’s democratic principles, perpetuating a leadership structure where loyalty to ethnicity outweighs loyalty to national development.
Toward Accountability and Inclusive Leadership
To address Nigeria’s leadership crisis, it is crucial to break free from the shackles of tribalism as a political scapegoat. Raising public awareness about the dangers of tribalism and its role as a tool for political manipulation is essential. Educating citizens on the need to prioritize competence over ethnicity could weaken the hold of tribal politics, encouraging people to make more informed decisions at the polls.
Enforcing strict anti-corruption measures and promoting justice for all could reduce tribal loyalty’s role in political decisions. When leaders are held accountable for their actions, the myth that they need ethnic backing to remain in power will diminish.
Leaders should adopt inclusive policies that reflect the diverse needs of Nigeria’s population. By ensuring that all ethnic groups feel represented and have equal access to resources, leadership can reduce the perception that one group is favored over another, fostering unity over division.
Shifting the focus of political parties from ethnic identities to ideological commitments is essential. Parties should be structured around shared goals and policies rather than tribal affiliations, allowing citizens to rally around ideas rather than identities.
Empowering the youth, who make up a significant portion of Nigeria’s population, is crucial to creating a future electorate that values meritocracy and national unity over tribalism. Civic education programs can instill values of unity, critical thinking, and informed voting, reducing the appeal of tribal loyalty in politics.
Thinking Forward
While Nigeria’s ethnic diversity poses unique challenges, tribalism is not the root of the nation’s leadership crisis. The real issue lies in a lack of accountable, competent leadership willing to prioritize national interest over personal or ethnic gains. By casting tribalism as the scapegoat for leadership failures, Nigerian leaders obscure their own shortcomings, perpetuating a cycle of division and underdevelopment.
Breaking this cycle requires conscious efforts to hold leaders accountable, promote inclusive governance, and shift focus from ethnic allegiance to a commitment to the common good. Only by addressing leadership inadequacies directly, without hiding behind the veil of tribalism, can Nigeria unlock its full potential and build a future of unity and progress.
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