On October 1st, 1960, Nigeria, under the leader ship of Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe, gained its independence from the United Kingdom, which had ruled colonially over Nigeria since the mid 1800s. Three years later in 1963, Nigeria established itself as a Federal Republic, with Azikiwe stepping in to serve as the first President of the fledgling nation. In an effort to confront the complicated social and historical realities of early 1960s and mold them effectively to ensure the prosperity of his nation, Azikiwe initiated a series of bold cultural, social, and legislative reforms. Many of these reforms were outlined in a speech given on May 15, 1964 at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, entitled “Tribalism: A Pragmatic Instrument for National
…show more content…
In his speech, Azikiwe produces an unexpected reversal of the significance of the term, using it to not only describe the condition of the Nigerian ‘native’, but the condition of people all around the world, most pertinently including the major global powers at the time. Consequently, Azikiwe defines the tribe as a universal human experience, going so far as to claim that “Every human being is a member of one particular tribe.” Azikiwe goes on to clarify that “Within that tribe, customs and traditions are established to guide, direct and control the beliefs, attitudes and habits of its individual members. Failures to comply with the collective will are tantamount to an act of disloyalty which may be punishable with severe penalties. Obedience to the tribe is thus inculcated in the tribes-folk from childhood.” With the theoretical characterization in mind, Azikiwe makes reference to the United States as an example in developing his theory of the integral nature of tribalism with respect to the construction of national identities. According to Azikiwe, prior to the Revolution of 1776, the thirteen American colonies were in theory as well as in practice thirteen related but fundamentally distinct …show more content…
It takes individuals to form a community; it takes communities to form a tribe; it takes tribes to form a nation.” Nevertheless, the naiveté of Azikiwe’s political vision, evidenced in his idea that a single ideology can suffice as the glue to hold an entire nation together, threatens the viability of his initial vision. In this regard, Nigeria seems to be no exception to a general problem facing an increasingly independent and nationalized Africa in the latter-half of the twentieth century. During this period of time, many groups of Africa experienced an unprecedented hope in their own power to determine their own futures for themselves, a hope that in many ways could easily eclipse the more sobering facets concerning the intense practical difficulties of how such a future might be obtained. In the case of Nigeria, and in the case of African nations in general, it could be argued that in their enthusiasm to construct the ‘perfect’ nation-state, politicians and nation-makers overlooked a number of serious difficulties, including the difficulty of coordinating social interests and protecting against political corruption,
In his speech, Azikiwe produces an unexpected reversal of the significance of the term, using it to not only describe the condition of the Nigerian ‘native’, but the condition of people all around the world, most pertinently including the major global powers at the time. Consequently, Azikiwe defines the tribe as a universal human experience, going so far as to claim that “Every human being is a member of one particular tribe.” Azikiwe goes on to clarify that “Within that tribe, customs and traditions are established to guide, direct and control the beliefs, attitudes and habits of its individual members. Failures to comply with the collective will are tantamount to an act of disloyalty which may be punishable with severe penalties. Obedience to the tribe is thus inculcated in the tribes-folk from childhood.” With the theoretical characterization in mind, Azikiwe makes reference to the United States as an example in developing his theory of the integral nature of tribalism with respect to the construction of national identities. According to Azikiwe, prior to the Revolution of 1776, the thirteen American colonies were in theory as well as in practice thirteen related but fundamentally distinct …show more content…
It takes individuals to form a community; it takes communities to form a tribe; it takes tribes to form a nation.” Nevertheless, the naiveté of Azikiwe’s political vision, evidenced in his idea that a single ideology can suffice as the glue to hold an entire nation together, threatens the viability of his initial vision. In this regard, Nigeria seems to be no exception to a general problem facing an increasingly independent and nationalized Africa in the latter-half of the twentieth century. During this period of time, many groups of Africa experienced an unprecedented hope in their own power to determine their own futures for themselves, a hope that in many ways could easily eclipse the more sobering facets concerning the intense practical difficulties of how such a future might be obtained. In the case of Nigeria, and in the case of African nations in general, it could be argued that in their enthusiasm to construct the ‘perfect’ nation-state, politicians and nation-makers overlooked a number of serious difficulties, including the difficulty of coordinating social interests and protecting against political corruption,