National Unity and Values Re-orientation: A Minister’s Clarion Call to Save Nigeria (3)
In Part 2 of this article, I argued that diversity and conflicts that sometimes emerge from it should not pose an inevitable death sentence on the prospects of national unity, integration and development in Nigeria, as cynics sometimes suggest. In advancing my argument, I used the examples of US and Canada, two advanced democracies to emphasize that a country is stable is not the absence of diversity and conflicts, but their effective management, which is the acid test of adroit political leadership. In this final part of the trilogy, I plan to discuss the intricacies of national unity and values reorientation in the context of Nigeria, with some pointers on how both can be achieved. Here we go.
We all agree that Nigeria is an intensely diverse country and that her diversity fosters divisions and conflicts, especially those of the ethnoreligious type. Nigeria’s first national anthem explicitly acknowledged this in the following words- though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. I must add sisterhood before the ladies go up in arms. That aside, this echoes the traditional motto of the United States of America (USA) conspicuously displayed on its Great Seal- E Pluribus Unum- Out of Many One; as well as the popular aphorism- Unity in Diversity. Curiously, our current national anthem made no reference whatsoever to diversity. Not sure why. May be out of concern that there is power in the tongue and that the more we mention it, the more it probably afflicts us. Or perhaps the hope that it will quietly fade away if we ignore it. How mistaken we are as problems don’t simply disappear unless they are frontally addressed. Sometimes, even tackling them offer no guarantees they will completely go away; only the hope of their mitigation.
All too often, true federalism (whatever that means as the practice of federalism varies from country to country) is glibly invoked as the magical solution to Nigeria’s diversity challenges; which in my opinion, is a facile reading of a very complex problem, as it fails to take into account the divisions and conflicts (violent and otherwise) within every sub-nationality (i.e. ethnic group) and geo-political zone in the country.
Conflicts are inevitable in life despite our best efforts to prevent them. Theorists often talk about two types of conflicts- Functional and Dysfunctional conflicts. Functional Conflicts, as the name suggest, are useful and offer opportunities to address the issues in contention leading to positive social changes. In contrast, Dysfunctional Conflicts fester in their toxicity, sometimes resulting in violence or armed conflicts.
This begs the question- has Nigeria historically paid sufficient attention to manging her diversity? Have we taken adequate proactive measures to address issues that divide us? How about tackling our infamous ethical deficit by way of values reorientation? The answers are obviously no. For example, during the immediate past Buhari government, then Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo often spoke about a new tribe of Nigerians to drive the country’s renewal. According to him, we have often talked about national unity and values reorientation, but never sufficiently invested in programs that would ensure their realization. Yet, for the 8 years they were in power, not much was done to birth and nurture this tribe.
This however, is not to suggest that issues of national unity and values orientation have been completely ignored by past governments. Far from it. Consequent upon the civil war, for instance, the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and the Unity Schools were established to help foster national unity. There have also be been such major national initiatives like the Ethical Revolution Program of the Shehu Shagari administration (1979-83), the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) of the Buhari/Idiagbon military junta (1983- 85), as well as Gen. Babangida’s Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER), to mention just a few. In 1993, MAMSER was renamed the National Orientation Agency (NOA) which today, is the office primarily responsible for national unity and values reorientation in Nigeria.
Recall that in part 1 of this essay, I documented the numerous times in the first weeks of the Tinubu administration when the Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris bemoaned the lack of unity and patriotism in Nigeria, such that people no longer believe in government or trust fellow citizens. As a result, the Honourable Minister underscored national unity and values reorientation as top priorities of the administration, noting that it was a key reason why National Orientation was added to the Ministry’s name. The administration’s prioritization of both ideals which obviously are at about their lowest ebbs in the country’s history suggests, even if tacitly, that past programs around them severely fell short. While an empirical interrogation of these programs are necessary to help us more fully understand why they may not have succeeded, in my opinion, the reason is invariably tied to decades of failed political governance which has led to enormous distrust between the government and the people, and among the people. Framed as a question- Do Nigerians still believe in Nigeria and their governments at all levels? This is a rhetorical question even if the answer is probably obvious to all of us.
Let me stress at this juncture that fostering national unity and values orientation is not the sole responsibility of governments as the organized private sector, civil society and citizens at large also have crucial roles to play. Yet, governments, especially at the federal level, must be in the vanguard of such efforts for them to succeed. And that starts with exemplary leadership; a commitment to selfless service, probity and transparency, a governance philosophy that places people first; especially the poor and most vulnerable citizens. In effect, it requires building an inclusive and just society where citizens regardless of ethnic origins, religious beliefs, economic status, gender and political affiliations, among others, feel sufficiently invested in the nation because it carters to their interests and protects their rights. It further entails enacting necessary laws and policies, along with their effective implementation.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria, many past efforts at national unity and values reorientation have largely been tall on slogans and taglines, but severely short on sincerity and purpose. For instance, there was the United We Stand; Divided We fall slogan of the immediate post-Civil war years which for the separatist South Easterners rang hollow. The Shagari administration adopted the One Nation; One Destiny tagline. For the short lived Yar-dua regime, it was One Nation, Great People. The immediate past government of Muhammadu Buhari invoked Next Level as its 2019 re-election battle cry and second term mantra. Did any of these shibboleths truly resonate with Nigerians? Enter the Renewed Hope Agenda of the young Tinubu administration which stands a great chance to succeed if it can avoid the missteps of previous governments in this regard. And that success will rest decidedly, not on political spin, but on sincerity of purpose, transparency, probity and truly being a government that positively impacts the lives of the vast majority of Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty. Political slogans, as exciting as they sound, can only go so far. People respond to governments primarily on the basis of impact on their lives. Slogans without real action ring hollow. Like with everything Branding, the substantive (i.e. quality products and services) trumps the superficial (i.e. images and slogans) any day. Of course, both are complimentary but the former is foundational without which the latter can’t be effective for any length of time. Unfortunately, in this age of images and spectacles, communication professionals are increasingly obsessed with the superficial, which once the surface is peeled off, exposes the emptiness within. This brings to mind the old expression- putting a lipstick on a pig.
As I stressed in Part 1 of this essay, Nigeria is in dire need of leadership heroes, particularly in the political realm; men and women of the stature of Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, imbued with great vision and strong moral core to help turn around our rather awful governance record. No one suggests managing national diversity and conflicts that emerge from it is an easy task; not in Nigeria or anywhere else for that matter. Yet, it is the acid test of skilled political leadership without which very little else can be achieved.
In a nutshell, national integration involves first recognizing our differences- ethnic, religious, cultural, political, gendered, and much more- and channelling them towards a common identity that fosters unity, togetherness and overall development of the country. It demands that we envision the big picture, despite our primary identities and diverse backgrounds, recognizing that there is strength in numbers and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As Dorothy Simpson explains, national integration means creating a mental outlook which will promote and inspire every person to place loyalty to the country above group loyalties and the welfare of the country above narrow sectarian interests.
Very fundamental to this idea is the mental outlook, which underscores political theorist Benedict Anderson’s conception of a nation as an imagined community etched in the consciousness of citizens, a social construct in which members feel commonality with others that they may not know or likely ever meet. Similarly, Yuval Noah Harari articulated the notion of imagined realities- ideas first imagined by a person or group of people which over time they begin to believe to be true. Getting Nigerians to accept that a new country is possible must start in the mind. However, it must be supported by bold and sincere actions, especially by folks in government. Saying one thing and doing another simply will not cut it. As Jack Vullings noted, imagined realities best capture the imagination on the basis of a future filled with hope as well as opportunities for a better world both for the individual and society at large.
Therefore, efforts at national integration and values reorientation in Nigeria must operate at both the Substantive policy, legislative and institutional levels as well as the Symbolic realm of consciousness and imagination. While both are mutually reinforcing, it is the latter that I actually want to focus on.
With respect to institutions, we have had the NYSC and Unity Schools since the early 70s as the flagship of our national integration efforts; both of which are in dire need of renewal due to emergent challenges some of which are not only extraneous to them but also existential in nature. Top among the challenges is pervasive insecurity so much that Corp members now refuse postings to regions of the country that are widely considered unsafe; same for students from other zones of the country who reject admissions to Unity Schools in such problem areas. These developments greatly undermine the purpose for which these programs were established. But even before the current challenges, have we sufficiently told the great and enduring success stories of these schemes, for example, the relationships- marital, political, economic, and more, that they fostered over the past decades? Will get back to this a little latter. But because bad news sells, we are always quick to jump at and amplify the slightest negative outcome from the schemes.
Aside from the NYSC and Unity Colleges, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) was established in 1996 to among other things, implement and enforce the Federal Character Principle of Fairness and equity, especially in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic goods among Nigerians. But have successive governments, in particular, the immediate past Buhari administration, really been faithful to the FCC ideals both in the letter and spirit of the law that created it? Such acts of marginalization or outright exclusion breed intense resentment and cause irreparable damage to national unity. Effort at national integration is further undermined by the apparent provincialization of federal entities such as the universities, which we have unwittingly turned into ethnic fiefdoms by appointing Vice Chancellors indigenous to the ethnic group where the institution is located, in contrast to the 1960s and 70s when we recruited the finest minds to run the institutions regardless of where they came from. While we have maintained that tradition with the appointment of Pro-Chancellors, the situation has got so bad with the selection of Vice Chancellors, as with the recent case at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, where increasingly and very aggressively too, the host communities now insist that they must produce the Vice Chancellors. How low can we go?
Still on institutions, and particularly with respect to values orientation, any keen observer of governance in Nigeria will readily attest to the fact that we do not necessarily lack institutions; just the will to enforce the laws. For instance, we have the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), among other agencies tasked with fighting corruption both in the public and private sectors. Add to these the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) with overarching powers to deal with every aspect of criminality, including bribery and corruption. To evoke the sociological theory of Structuration, our problem is not necessarily Structure (i.e. formal institutions which we have in abundance), rather it is primarily about Agency (the lack of will to effectively enforce the laws and ensuring that the institutions live up to their responsibilities). As I have often argued, all the malfeasance in Nigeria (big and small) persist because actions have no consequences, especially for the power elites. Under such circumstances, the underlying objective of laws to serve as deterrent is defeated as people take liberties, since the system ignores, even rewards bad behaviour. And until this is addressed, efforts at ethical reorientation in our dear country will continue to falter. That is why the ongoing investigation into the alleged corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is a massive test for the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu government. It shouldn’t surprise that the decision to suspend the Minister, Dr. Betta Edu pending the outcome of the investigation has drawn plaudits from both critics and supporters of the administration.
This now takes me to the symbolic realm of consciousness and imagination, which is very crucial in fostering national unity in every country. Symbols have the ability to not only convey information, but also evoke emotions, thus enhancing the impact of messages. They are also very effective for their immense cognitive and visceral appeal. A short while ago, I spoke about imagined communities and imagined realities. Without sounding heretic, these for me echo what in Christian theology is considered the ultimate act of faith- the belief in things not necessarily seen. Eric Bormann spoke to this eloquently in his symbolic convergence theory of media where he argued that the appearance of group consciousness relies primarily on socially shared narrations and fantasies and not on individual thoughts and scripts.
Beyond the material realm of institutions, laws and especially their enforcement, which evidently we have not fared very well in, have we bothered to create, at the level of the imagination of citizens, the Nigeria of our dreams? The notion of America as Gods own country, the land of incredible opportunities where dreams blossom is primarily an imaginary consciously cultivated in the minds of her citizens and the world at large through institutions like Hollywood that project a largely idyllic image of the country. For instance, the debilitating poverty of America’s inner cities and the other social malaise the country is grappling with are usually not the stuff of blockbuster movies.
The arts, particularly Nollywood, has a huge role to play in fostering consciousness around national integration. As the great German writer Bertolt Brecht reminded us several decades ago- Art is not the mirror to reflect reality, but the hammer with which to shape it. Hollywood helped shape the world’s perception of America as well as Americans perception of theselves. Popular arts, especially film has immense power to challenge stereotypes and change attitudes. For instance, at the time of great social upheaval in America, Sidney Poitier’s 1967 classic film- Guess Who’s is Coming to Dinner- despite intense criticism of sounding contrived- is often credited with helping change perceptions about interracial relationships in the country.
In this regard, Nollywood must be a key driving force in shaping narratives around Nigerian unity and values reorientation. This requires robust and sustained partnerships with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation as well as the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy- with relevant Agencies under both Ministries leading the effort. On the part of Nollywood, key Producers, Directors and Script Writers are critical. I know that the NYSC which recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee anniversary has been documenting the incredible experiences of Corp members since the inception of the scheme. Such materials should be an invaluable trove of information for Nollywood Cinematographers. Aside from helping develop film narratives and themes around national unity and values reorientation, it will also, on a lighter note, help distract the industry from its seeming obsession with black magic. Further, I sincerely hope that the recent emergence of ethnically based associations in the industry such as Kannywood (the Hausa movie industry) does not mean a retreat to our ethnic enclaves as the industry has taken giant strides in the past two decades to become the second largest film industry in the world, bigger than Hollywood and only behind Bollywood (the Indian film industry). The challenges of nationhood are so important that Nigeria needs a robust voice at the centre.
This also speaks to an organization like the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), which was created to foster greater understanding between the leaders and followers of Nigeria’s two principal religions- Islam and Christianity. Jointly led by the Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Council, despite a national platform and the undoubted influence of its key members, has not sufficiently projected its activities to public consciousness to help change hearts and minds given that religion remains a major flashpoint in Nigeria. NIREC will certainly benefit from a robust and sustained infusion of Strategic Communication to realize its objectives.
Interestingly, more and more civil society organizations are working in the area of interfaith dialogue, which hopefully, will help improve Christian-Muslim relations and by extension national unity in Nigeria. Such organizations must however, pay greater attention to knowledge generation and dissemination about the two major religions given how much distrust that is out there fuelled by ignorance.
A few years ago, I shared a short clip with my contacts on Whatsapp about the common roots of the Abrahamic faiths- Christianity, Islam and Judaism, which highlighted that Jesus (Isa in the Koran) is also a revered prophet in Islam. The responses were disquieting in part because the recipients are overwhelmingly university graduates who typically rely on me for credible information. One sarcastically asked if I am for real. The other politely suggested I was spreading fake news. The third blurted out something about religious propaganda and wondered if I was converting to Islam. After I put them through a brief tutorial they were pleasantly surprised by their new knowledge.
I remember one of them asked why such facts are not widely known, to which I humorously responded that he should help spread the good news. More recently, in August 2023, I shared to almost same group a news story about the Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif District in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) which was renamed Mariam, Umm Eisa which translates from Arabic to English as Mary Mother of Jesus. The reaction this time was significantly different. What a difference knowledge can make, especially in helping to change perceptions and attitudes; not just about religion, but also ethnicity and the other things that divide us. Please note that I am not in any way suggesting that disseminating knowledge on matters like this will make our religious and other differences fade away. Not at all. But we cannot and should not sit idly and allow extremists to drive the narratives with their virulent rhetoric and violent design. While success has thus far been limited, we should not despair; same way we cannot give up on fighting crime because we cannot stop every criminal act.
In 1964, the Vatican established the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (now the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue) to foster engagement with non-Christian faiths, especially Islam. For decades, the Department was headed by Nigeria’s Francis Cardinal Arinze. Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church in Nigeria has been at the forefront of such interfaith efforts with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria creating a department solely for it. The church has also devoted resources to training a growing number of priests and Religious in Islamic Studies with added proficiency in Arabic Language. They are following in the illustrious footsteps of John Cardinal Onaiyekan (the Emeritus Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja) who in partnership with His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto founded the Interfaith Initiative for Peace (IPP). Similarly, the friendship and public engagements of the Sultan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto are well known, but needs greater amplification primarily because of their capacity to capture the imagination. At the symbolic level of perceptions, such engagements profoundly impact public consciousness and help change hearts and minds. Despite Kukah’s understandable frustration with non-substantive outcomes in the area of interfaith relations, along with the perennial failure of governance in general, he and his likes who seem to transcend our ethnic and religious divides, should be deliberately utilized in our drive for national unity.
Fondly called the Bishop of the Caliphate by a prominent Islamic cleric who works in the area of interfaith relations, Kukah had once jokingly described himself as the Catholic Imam. In a 2009 published newspaper tribute to the late Second Republic Minister Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, Kukah narrated how he was about heading back to Kaduna, his base at the time, from Abuja when he learned that Tahir was gravely ill in hospital and decided to visit him dressed in his priestly robe (he was not a Bishop then). However, a nurse at the hospital would not let him in since it was not the official visiting hours. When he expressed surprise that the Nurse would not let a cleric visit a sick person, the Nurse responded that he (Kukah) is Christian and the sick man (Tahir) is Muslim to which, Kukah, in his characteristic humour replied that he is the Catholic Imam.
The ‘poor’ Nurse relented. He saw and prayed with Tahir, who sadly died the next day. Still on the immense capacity of symbols to capture the imagination, how about interfaith and inter-ethnic visits by prominent Nigerians? Take for example the Sultan leading a delegation of pre-eminent northern traditional, religious and business leaders to the South East and vice versa. Currently, there are serious security challenges that pose threat to such ideas, but these are the types of symbolic initiatives we should be considering in the medium to long term once the security situation improves. We must strive to build bridges across faiths and ethnicities. I don’t know how many of us who have forged genuine and enduring friendships with people outside our religious and ethnic groups. And I don’t necessarily mean solely in business and politics both of which are primarily pecuniary and self-serving. Nothing wrong with that though as it also has its own utility.
Sports, especially football has for long been a key unifying tool for Nigerians. As the Super Eagles huddle together for prayers before a match, we barely care about the ethnic background of the players or which God they are invoking; just a united wish for the team to be victorious. And when that happens we declare in unison- God is Nigerian.
Like Nollywood which I discussed earlier, music remains another powerful tool for national unity and values reorientation. Stars of yesteryears like Ebenezer Obey, Sunny Ade, Victor Uwaifo, Oliver DeCoque, Osita Osadebe, Dan Maraya Jos, among others, in various ways, played key roles in this regard. Today, the new generation of stars, too many to be individually mentioned, have taken the musical world by storm, winning major global awards, including Grammys. Aside from their incredible solo efforts, they should be encouraged to collaborate by way of national unity theme songs and concerts. I believe it is an idea that will excite them as they, like most Nigerians are not happy with where we are as a country. While Bob Marley may earn the global plaudits, Jamaicans also hold Eric Donaldson in great reverence for his 1978 classic song- The Land of My Birth, which has become the unofficial anthem of the Caribbean Island country; evoking so much patriotic fervour whenever it is played, especially on the country’s Independence day.
There is also the need to encourage private sector led efforts as the engine room of sustained and inclusive economic growth, especially on the basis of studies which have shown direct correlation between poverty, illiteracy and Nigeria’s ethnoreligious and security challenges. As a result, inter-state partnerships such as the Lagos-Kebbi deal which in conjunction with WACOT Rice Nigeria Limited, birthed LAKE Rice in 2016, should not only be encouraged, but also replicated among states where the need exists. This is because such efforts not only drive economic growth but also foster national unity- two things Nigeria is in dire need of.
Similarly, iconic business brand names that are consciously conceived to advance national unity should be strongly encouraged, even patronized. In this regard, Obiora Okonkwo’s United Nigeria Airlines Limited with the tagline Flying to Unite comes readily to mind.
In embracing the name and tagline, the airline has boldly positioned itself as Captain Nigeria, a catalyst for national unity and integration. It not only brands Nigeria because of its unique name, but also projects immense symbolic power of what is possible; the power of imagination or to echo Barack Obama, the audacity of hope; hope, that critical driving force of the human spirit, which the poet Alexander Pope reminds us springs eternal. After all, national unity in every country is largely aspirational; a work in progress or as Americans say working towards that more perfect union.
With the influence of both the NYSC and Unity Schools waning, it is probably time we start to embrace the idea of Sister Towns, Cities or Communities. Sometimes called Twin Towns, the idea, in its various forms, refers to legal or social agreements between two geographically distinct and ethnic localities/communities for the purpose of promoting cultural, commercial or other ties of interest to both. With respect to commercial interests, it could be, for instance, between two towns where one is a major producer of a product or service and the other a key consumer. The attraction could also be mytho-historical around common origins or anthropological in relation to shared cultures. Such affinities abound across communities in Nigeria, yet we have never bothered to harness them for national unity. The potential relationship could also be on account of mere coincidence of name as in the case of the two Nguru towns- one in Imo and the other in Yobe States. This could also be extended to schools, especially in the face of the continuing deterioration of public schools which has caused us to confine our young people to largely ethnic and religious silos for their primary and secondary education.
Let me say by way of conclusion that we must continue to appeal to the imagination and hold on to the hope that a new Nigeria is possible. We can do that by thinking positively and building bridges that accentuate our centripetal impulses while also blunting our centrifugal urges. Yes, Nigeria must be united, but Nigeria must also be a fair and just society for there can be no unity of purpose and development if any of the units of the country (big or small) feel marginalized or excluded. As I have reiterated in this article, we are not the only diverse country and good leadership can help fix most of what ails us.
The Tinubu administration through the Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris has done very well by prioritizing national unity and values reorientation as major challenges facing Nigeria and underscoring its commitment to take on them headlong. It is now left for the relevant government agencies to lead the charge in partnership with faith groups, the organized private sector, NG, Os, and citizens at large. An outstanding partner in this effort is the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) which arising from its 2022 Citizens’ Summit developed a comprehensive blueprint for the country’s rebirth aptly titled- Rebooting Nigeria: 2.0.
Interestingly, Dr. Ike Neliaku, the passionate and visionary new President of the Institute was also the Chairman of the Committee that superintendent the Citizens’ Summit. With him at the helm, the government can’t have a better partner. Birthing a new Nigeria is a major test for the current government- a test I sincerely believe it can navigate successfully. If and when that happens, echo the title of Alistair Sparks’ beautiful book on the undercurrents of South Africa’s political transition- Tomorrow is Another Country. Hope, indeed springs eternal!
