The Ongoing Criticism of Northern Nigeria by the Southern Regions

In relation to Nigeria's political evolution, northern Nigeria, which includes the three geopolitical regions of North West, North East, and North Central, holds a distinctive standing. It encompasses the largest geographical area in the country, covering about 70 percent of Nigeria's total landmass. Its ecosystem is notably diverse in terms of ecology, culture, and ethnicity.

Nonetheless, since Nigeria's political past began, northern Nigeria has faced consistent negative portrayals in the realm of the national political economy, extending to everyday socio-economic interactions.

The unifying image of the north, along with its people, has been shaped by terms like backward, uneducated, and parasitic, suggesting a persistent tendency to lean on the nation’s resources without contributing meaningfully.

At the societal level, various derogatory terms have emerged to characterize northerners. For example, while 'Aboki' simply translates to 'friend' in Hausa, in many southern contexts, it has morphed into a pejorative label, invoking disdain and often resulting in violence against northern properties and livelihoods in southern regions.

A significant factor in perpetuating these harmful narratives about northerners is the media largely based in southern Nigeria, as well as a cadre of elites and intellectuals. Since the colonial era and continuing beyond 60 years of independence, they have frequently engaged in a type of relentless critique of the north, mostly lacking in factual basis.

Consequently, people from the north, irrespective of their geopolitical origins or religious beliefs, frequently become targets for unreasonable slurs and derogatory remarks, with the expectation that they accept these labels as a reflection of their supposed inferior status in the country. The perception that northerners contribute minimally to the national pool leads southerners to anticipate a lack of pushback against such derogatory references.

Questions arise as to why northern Nigerians are profiled so negatively and how this situation developed.

The creation of Nigeria by British colonizers amalgamated hundreds of diverse ethnic groups at varying degrees of political and social evolution without any consultation. By 1903, all entities within the territory that would eventually form Nigeria had submitted to British rule.

This imposition of colonial order posed significant challenges for the British, who struggled to recruit enough administrators willing to establish rule in such a vast and varied territory.

As a result, they resorted to an indirect rule approach, leveraging the existing pre-colonial Emirate system under which the Sokoto caliphate governed substantial sections of northern Nigeria.

When the British colonial administration amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates in 1914, it sparked considerable resentment, chiefly from the southern protectorate and parts of northern Nigeria. Leaders from Lagos, who had benefited from an autonomous status since 1861, spearheaded the discontent, viewing the merger with the 'backward feudalists known for their barbarities' unfavorably in petitions to colonial authorities.

This resentment cemented a long-standing disdain for all things northern, often articulated in highly negative terms, which persists to this day. Over time, these critiques have shifted from political arenas to encompass economic and social matters, leaving little room for objective discourse and historical context that might illuminate the shared experiences of the nation.

This entrenched narrative has become so pervasive that generations of southern Nigerians have accepted and propagated these negative definitions of the north, even when confronted with contradictory empirical evidence.

As a northern Nigerian, I often reserve my strongest criticisms for the failures of our own leadership, attributing the dire circumstances of our region to its elites. By naming specific leaders and drawing comparisons, I aim to offer constructive insights into potential paths forward.

What distinguishes my perspective is my intention to generate solutions for our nation’s challenges rather than simply detract from the broader discourse.

Every nation faces complexities rooted in regional distinctions and religious identities. However, these differences should be acknowledged and embraced within a larger national framework aimed at collective welfare.

The roots of this antagonism against the north by southern elites can be traced back to the British colonial decision to allocate about 70 percent of Nigeria's land area to the northern region, leaving only 30 percent for the southern protectorate. This arrangement has been perceived by southern political elites as an unfair advantage, tipping political capital toward the north.

The anger has been compounded by a belief that the southern political class, with its proximity to British culture and education, should rightfully hold political primacy instead of northerners, who resisted British influence.

The southern political elite, educated in prestigious British and American institutions and immersed in Western customs, struggle to understand the British preference for northerners, who had historically opposed British values.

There is little doubt that while political rivalry is a natural aspect of Nigeria's multifaceted landscape, it is essential to be cautious about the path we take regarding these divisions. Nigerians often spend excessive time focusing on negatives and finding fault in themselves.

Diversity ought to be a cornerstone of strength and development. Despite the global admiration for our rich diversity—ranked the third largest in the world—we frequently lament it and pursue fragmentation.

This indicates that our political leaders have not risen to the occasion of leading national unity and advancement as demanded by their role.

As we navigate our national journey, it is crucial for visionary Nigerians committed to unity to meet the present challenge. The narrow and counterproductive political trends that exploit religious and ethnic divides must yield to the establishment of a cohesive and prosperous Nigeria that we can all aspire to for ourselves and future generations.