Tribalism: The Oldest Wound We Refuse to Heal.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by Saharaweeklyng.com

We speak of unity, yet divide at every election. Until we confront tribalism, Nigeria will never rise.

Nigeria is a country blessed with diversity, yet cursed by it. Over 200 million people, more than 500 ethnic groups, hundreds of languages – a mosaic that could be our greatest strength. Instead, tribalism has become our oldest, deepest and most destructive wound. It is a wound we refuse to heal and as long as it festers, the nation’s potential will remain hostage to fear, suspicion and recurring crises.

Wole Soyinka warned decades ago: “When you start to think in terms of tribe rather than humanity, you have abandoned reason for instinct and instinct is often deadly.” Sadly, Nigeria continues to act on instinct rather than reason.

The Roots of Tribalism.
Tribalism in Nigeria is not a natural phenomenon; it is historically manufactured. British colonial rule entrenched divisions, rewarding loyalty along ethnic lines, importing a zero-sum mindset and leaving behind a federal structure prone to favoritism. The legacy of “divide and rule” became our inheritance.

Northern indirect rule strengthened ethnic hierarchies and traditional emirates, creating power imbalances.

In the South, Christian missionary education created intellectual elites, but also intensified regional inequalities.

Resource allocation policies (from cocoa to oil) fueled perceptions of favoritism, turning economic competition into ethnic grievance.

These historical fractures are not relics; they shape daily politics, electoral choices and the violence that haunts communities today.

Tribalism in Politics: A Toxic Cycle.
Elections in Nigeria are rarely contests of ideas. They are contests of identity. Politicians appeal to tribe over competence, promising advancement for “their people” and ignoring national interest. The result:

Polarized voting: Citizens often vote not for policies but for ethnic solidarity.

Unequal development: Regions receive projects based on who governs rather than need.

Recurring crises: Post-election violence, secessionist agitations and intercommunal clashes follow predictable ethnic fault lines.

In 2015 and 2019, analysts warned that ethno-religious polarization in elections increased tensions in the North, South and Middle Belt. Yet each election cycle, the script repeats. Political elites weaponize identity, citizens oblige and the nation suffers.

The Human Cost.
Tribalism is not abstract. It kills, imprisons potential and sows distrust. Consider the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). While multiple factors led to the war, ethnic suspicion, regional favoritism and failure to recognize shared citizenship made bloodshed inevitable. Over two million lives were lost, millions displaced and entire communities traumatized, all in the name of “protecting our people.”

In recent decades, tribalism has fueled insurgencies, banditry and local conflicts. Youths are recruited to fight not over ideas but over loyalty to ethnic or regional elites. Education and merit are secondary to origin and patronage. Tribalism, in effect, becomes a conveyor belt of inequality, violence and frustration.

Cultural Neglect and Memory Loss.
Much like the forgotten heroes, tribalism thrives in a society that forgets lessons from history. Instead of teaching that ethnic loyalty must be balanced with national unity, our schools and media often reinforce division, subtly or overtly. History textbooks are selective: one group’s narrative is celebrated, another’s minimized. National events like independence, the civil war or regional achievements are taught in isolation, reinforcing “US VERSUS THEM” rather than “WE ARE ONE.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Danger of a Single Story” is particularly instructive: when citizens internalize only one narrative about their own people or another, tribalism thrives. Ignorance becomes fertile soil for hate, suspicion and political exploitation.

How Tribalism Blocks Progress.
Nigeria’s development is strangled by this wound:

Economic Inefficiency: Projects are located for ethnic favoritism, not national need. Roads, schools, hospitals follow patronage lines.

Brain Drain: Talented Nigerians flee regions where they feel marginalized or unsafe.

Insecurity: Divisions make coordinated responses to terrorism, banditry and communal violence difficult.

Political Paralysis: Leaders who appeal to tribe over policy fail to build consensus on national priorities, leaving laws unimplemented and reforms stalled.

The result: we are a nation with vast potential but recurring crises, repeating cycles of failure and a public increasingly cynical about the value of citizenship.

Breaking the Cycle: Lessons from History.
Nigeria’s wound is old, but it is not unhealable. The solution requires courage, honesty and long-term commitment:

National Education Reform: Schools must teach national citizenship alongside local history. Children must know that Nigeria is bigger than tribe, that heroes came from every corner and that collective destiny matters.

Media Responsibility: Journalists and content creators must resist tribal framing and amplify stories of cross-cultural cooperation. Nollywood, radio and online platforms can shift public perception.

Political Accountability: Citizens must judge leaders by competence, integrity and national vision not ETHNICITY or RELIGION. Electoral education campaigns can help citizens demand meritocracy over loyalty.

Institutional Balance: Policies on federal allocation, appointments and security must be transparently merit-based, reducing the temptation for leaders to favor “THEIR PEOPLE.”

South Africa’s post-apartheid reconciliation and Rwanda’s post-genocide reforms provide instructive examples: deliberate civic education, memorialization and institutional reform can heal wounds even after centuries of division. Nigeria can learn from these models.

Nationalism, Not Tribalism.
Nationalism does not erase culture; it places shared citizenship above narrow loyalty. Leaders like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti believed in a Nigeria where ethnic identity complemented, rather than compromised, national unity. We honor their vision not by celebrating tribe over nation, but by building institutions, telling balanced histories and demanding competence over favoritism.

Final Verdict: A Call to the Nation.
Tribalism is Nigeria’s oldest wound, but it is also its greatest challenge. We cannot pretend that slogans, social media hashtags, or occasional peace meetings are enough. We need systemic reform, historical literacy and civic courage.

As Wole Soyinka admonished: “Ethnic loyalty should never outweigh loyalty to justice, reason and humanity.” Until we internalize this principle, every election will reopen old wounds, every crisis will echo the past and every generation will inherit a fractured country.

Nigeria can heal, but only if citizens, leaders and institutions collectively decide to remember, respect and rise above tribe. The wound is deep, but with memory, courage and unity, it is not fatal.