National Identity , Integration and Question : Implications for National Security and Stable Democratic Governance in Nigeria

Most African countries are said to be unintergrated and that their main problem to stable democratic governance, and economic development is the intergration of their peoples and good governance. They are un-integrated because of the i nt rnal colonization of some ethnic nationalities by some others during the indigenous state formation process; and their external colonization by the Arabs and Europeans. As the col onization processes did not respect ethnic differences in Africa but super-imposing some ethni c ationalities over others, most African countries became multi-ethnic on independence. The need for the dividends of democracy (good governance, political stability and economic develo pment) within the various ethnic nationalities in the same country has further complicated the pro blems posed by the multiplicity of ethnic groups, absence of intergration and super-impositio n of some ethnic nationalities over others, thereby giving rise to a search for local and natur al identity (“national identity” and “autonomy”) by the various ethnic nationalities that feel domin ated, humiliated and marginalised by the colonization processes. The search for “national id entity” and “autonomy” now challenges the legitimacies of the governments and the very existe nce of the states as these searches are in the forms of armed struggles, formation of ethnic armie s or militias, religious and ethnic conflicts, and terrorism. These contradictions can only be resolve d through a discussion of the “national question” in the various countries. This paper ther efore examines the issues of national intergration, national identity; and the national q uestion in Nigeria and the problems they posed to national security and stable democratic governance in the country.