Ethnicity and citizenship crisis in Nigeria: Interrogating inter ethnic relations in Sardauna Local Government Area, Taraba State

Abstract

The recurrence of ethnicity and citizenship question generate the debate whether citizenship in Nigeria is inclusive.
This problem is very topical in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. Sardauna Local Government Area
which is located in south-east of Taraba, north-east Nigeria was part of the former British Northern Cameroon that
voted to join Nigeria after the 1961 plebiscite. The people in Sardauna Local Government Area, apart from the Fulani
who speak a Senegambia language, fulfude, every other ethnic group in the area speak Bantu and semi Bantu
classic. They share largely similar history, culture, tradition and intermixed religion. Despite these similarities, interethnic relationship has been played down by elite’s manipulation of ethnicity and citizenship. This paper argues that
elites does this by exploiting proximate causes of conflict such as poverty, unemployment, land tenure issue, group
identity while struggling for power in the primitive accumulation process. The paper concludes that unless ethnic
groups in the area appreciate their history, redefine their socio-economic and political relations, and develop a
sense of nationality to resolve conflict through non-violent means; the problem will continue to undermine peaceful
coexistence and development in the area.