Nigeria’s Deepening Divides: A Harvest of What We Have Sown

Nigeria’s Deepening Divides: A Harvest of What We Have Sown

Nigeria’s Deepening Divides: A Harvest of What We Have Sown

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, stands as a paradox – rich in diversity yet weakened by division. While others, like China and South Korea, have harnessed their unity to build resilient, inclusive societies, Nigeria continues to wrestle with deep-seated ethnic, religious, and political fault lines that threaten its cohesion. This is no accident; it is the outcome of decades of systemic injustice and a leadership culture that thrives on division.

Unlike societies that invest in trust-building, Nigeria’s political elite often exploit differences for personal gain. The infamous “divide and rule” tactic – once a colonial legacy – has now been fully embraced by local leaders. According to the Centre for Democracy and Development (2023), ethnic favouritism and political marginalization have widened mistrust across regions. Leadership remains disproportionately skewed, with some zones consistently dominating key national positions. This breeds resentment, not unity.

Compounding this is a generational transfer of prejudice. Children are being raised in environments where other tribes are labeled with derogatory names, and superiority is tied to ethnic identity. As Proverbs 22:6 warns, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Sadly, Nigeria has trained her children not in tolerance, but in bias.

Calls for national unity often ring hollow when those who speak them ignore the root causes of our fragmentation. Jeremiah 6:14 aptly captures this: “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” True healing cannot come from cosmetic solutions or denial.

Let us not compare ourselves to countries that consciously built bridges across divides while we fan the flames of division at home. Unity is not a slogan – it is a structure. Until Nigeria confronts its moral and systemic failures, and until leaders and citizens alike begin to sow justice and equity, we will continue to reap discord.

Galatians 6:7 reminds us: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Nigeria is living that reality today. The hope lies in our willingness to change what we sow – starting now.