Citizenship and the Quest for National Integration in Nigeria
Volume 4, Issue 2 Maliki Christopher I., Oniha Mabel O., Odion Howardson A. O.
Published online:13 April 2018
Abstract
This paper examined the concepts of citizen and citizenship and their origin in Nigeria. It looked at issues in Nigeria citizenship, such as indegeneship, dual citizenship, citizens rights and responsibility, and loss or termination of citizenship. It considered the acquisition methods and observed that its citizenship by birth was based on indegeneship rather than a place of birth. It established three types of citizens but observed that in practice, two broad types existed at state and local government levels: the indigenes and non-indigenes citizens, and citizens rights were classified on this basis. It also saw that citizens of the major ethnic groups superimposed themselves on the minorities to the extent that some minorities feel like colonized persons and alienated. It also observed that the indigenes had more rights than non-indigenes who were treated as foreigners outside their home states. It observed that naturalized persons suffered more deprivations than other citizens even by virtue of its constitution of 1999. It considered efforts at national integration, which have failed not because of bad laws but because extant laws have not been implemented and institutions to control enforcement have failed/refused to do their job. Citizens have been given mammoth responsibility, and they are expected to help in national development and integration, but because of disparity in rights, it is doubtful whether citizens who are alienated can give their desired role or full contribution to the national growth.
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