The State And Nation-Building In Nigeria, 1967 – 2007: A Historical Analysis

ABSTRACT

Nigeria became an independent state in 1960. The political system that Nigeria operated at independence was given to her by the British colonial authority. It was the imperfections in the political system that led to the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war in 1967. The end of the civil war in 1970 gave Nigeria the opportunity for a national rebirth. This is because the civil war destroyed the political system that was inherited from the British. From 1970 onward, Nigeria then had the opportunity to create a political system that was suitable to the country‟s peculiar geo-political environment. Thus, work is about the nationbuilding process in Nigeria between 1967 and 2007. The work analyzes the various efforts of the state in the country‟s nation-building process between 1967 and 2007. By adopting the historical narrative and analytical approach, the study has carried out a chronological analysis of the different nationbuilding initiatives of both the civilian and military administrations that ruled Nigeria between 1967 and 2007. The thesis analyzes the administrations of General Yakubu Gowon, 1967-1975; Generals Murtala Muhammad/Olusegun Obasanjo, 1975-1979; Alhaji Shehu Shagari, 1979-1983; Generals Muhammadu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon, 1983-1985; General Ibrahim Babangida, 1985-1993; General Sanni Abacha, 1993-1998, and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, 1999-2007. The research is predicated on the assumption that there is no historical and holistic analysis of the different mechanisms, programmes and initiatives the state used to tackle Nigeria‟s nation-building challenges. Additionally, the study highlights the neglected role of the Civil Society Groups (CSGs) in the country‟s nation-building process between 1967 and 2007.