For a considerable while now, the subject matter of inter-group relations has vigorously featured in Nigeria historiography. The tendency signifies a radical departure from previous practices when scholars expend enormous energy and resources in the attempt to prove to the world that Nigeria haS not just a historical past but one that was functional and dynamic and therefore relevant to the overall essence of the people and their development process. The emergence of this somewhat new current in Nigerian historiography can be associated with a number of factors which have generally influenced the evolution of the Nigerian nation.
The first is the realization of the need to completely get rid of European prejudices from our history. This would help create the objective condition for a more relevant socio-cultural decolonization that starts with a perspective comprehension of the forces that shaped our society in the past and the extent to which they are determining variables in our present level of development. The second factor is the practical reality of our political independence from the British.
This has created the need to emphasize the multidimensional ways the people related with one another before the advent of Pax Britannica and how these performed the harmonizing function of peaceful cohabitation between groups, not withstanding their socio-cultural differences.
Arising from these is a third factor which relates to all important question of nation building, which is impossible without the total mobilization of the people's beliefs and commitment, in the indivisbility of the Nigerian nation on the hand, and it's sovereign status on the other. Then, last but not the least, is the chilling reality of the problem of the inter-ethnic conflict and the Contestation for citizenship rights, which although a necessary consequence of the complex character of contacts and intermingling between groups in conglomerate societies; have in the Nigerian case, acquired a phenomenal character making it a fundamental aspect of the National Question.
This need is now urgent to get to the root causes of this phenomenon with the ling term goal of understanding its history and evolutionary processes, tackling it and promoting healthy inter-ethnic relationships between Nigerians in the interest of National development. Therefore we focus on the patterns, nature, and character of intergroup relations in Nigeria and the implications of these on national development.
FACTORS OF CONTACTS BETWEEN THE PEOPLES OF Nigeria
Nigeria is not a mere geographical expression, if by that we mean before the advent of Europeans, the diverse peoples of Nigeria had little or no contacts with each other for. On the contrary, a variety of links existed between various peoples. But before we attempt to analyze these forms of contact we will first examine closely the factors which facilitated them. These factors are many and interrelated and for analytical purposes they may be classified into geographical, socio-cultural, economic and political factors. They include; theories of origin and migrations, trade and commerce, markets, trade routes, traders, religio-cultural institutions, inter ethnic marriages and war.
In the past and even at present, a major preoccupation of the people have been how best to organize their society in order to effectively grapple with the challenges inherent in the reproduction of their material, existence. In the course of doing this, people engaged in diverse economic activities, determined first and foremost by the condition of their physical environment and secondly, by the level of their productive forces and development.
In addition to the geographical and economic factors, cultural forces also engendered contact and interdependence between groups. Indeed, such cultural factors like traditions of origin, migrations, language and folklore, religion, philosophy and cosmology; art, dance and music, marriage, customs and modes of dressing etc, promoted inter groups relations between the peoples of Nigeria before and after colonialism.
Warfare is yet another factor of contact, although we must state that it's significance is often overemphasized. The people of Nigeria were never as war-like as portrayed by colonial anthropologist. Consequently, we observe that where war as a social activity occurred, it should be seen as a last resort, for the overriding concern of groups was to operationalize a modulus vivendi that was positively supportive of their continual survival as a group. Pre-colonial wars were waged for several reasons. The reasons why wars were fought include;
1. To occupy and establish political hegemony over foreign territories
2. To fight internal foreign occupation and domination
3. To fight internal enemies.
All these patterns emerged with the gradual development of societies.
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Nigeria History