By Taiwo Anjorin
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in Nigeria’s diversity and maintains that the country should remain united rather than disintegrate. However, I believe we must look beyond the political rhetoric of unity and honestly examine whether the structure upon which Nigeria’s diversity is built is delivering the national cohesion and development Nigerians deserve.
In reality, Nigeria’s diversity, as presently managed, has created opportunities for corruption, nepotism, tribalism, religious divisions, and political patronage. These problems have weakened national institutions and made it increasingly difficult to establish a common front against corruption, banditry, terrorism, and other security challenges.
My concern is that Nigeria’s problem may go deeper than poor leadership. It may also lie in the foundations and structural arrangements of the Nigerian state. We have developed a political environment in which ethnic and religious loyalties sometimes take precedence over national interest, merit, integrity, and accountability.
Consequently, citizens who should collectively hold their elected representatives accountable often become divided along ethnic, religious, and political lines. Rather than demanding responsible governance, some defend political leaders simply because they belong to their ethnic group, religion, or political camp.
This creates a dangerous situation where political leaders can exploit divisions within the population to weaken public resistance against bad governance. It also makes the fight against corruption and insecurity more complicated because accountability is sometimes interpreted through the lens of ethnic or religious loyalty.
I am not necessarily advocating Nigeria’s disintegration. Rather, I believe we must have the courage to question whether the existing foundation and management of our diversity are working in the national interest.
A united Nigeria must be built on more than geographical boundaries and political arrangements. It must be founded on justice, equal citizenship, meritocracy, institutional accountability, national consciousness, and a shared commitment to the common good.
If diversity continues to serve the interests of political elites at the expense of ordinary citizens, then we must reconsider how we practise federalism, distribute political power, and build national institutions.
The real question is not whether Nigeria should remain united, but whether we are prepared to reform the structures that make genuine unity, responsible leadership, and national development difficult to achieve.
Taiwo Anjorin is a public commentator and writes from New York, United States of America.
