THE IMPLICATIONS OF SEPARATISTS AND RESTRUCTURALISTS AGITATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL ECONOMY OF 21ST CENTURY NIGERIA

Abstract

Every year, on the 9th of August, the world commemorates the United Nations Day of the Indigenous Peoples of the World, including their fundamental rights of existence. In the midst of the following plethora of challenges- weak governmental institutions, oil structural disease, inept leadership, ethno-religious divisiveness, state orchestrated corruption and impunity, widespread poverty, unemployment and galloping population increase, reliance on an import based economy, if the daily headlines from Nigerian Newspapers cannot provide a summation of the heartrending national situation, perhaps, one may need to consult the United States 12 clusters of variables index considered in computing the fragile/failed states. Degenerating from 54 in 2005 to between 13 and 15 over the past seven years, and largely in the red alert category with countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, Guinea, Syria, Yemen, among others on the same pedestral, starkly put, Nigeria appears to be heading for perdition. Attempts at providing veritable solutions and panacea added with the optional alternative of reverting to primordial status quo have not only enveloped the contemporary Nigerian political landscape, but appears to create a somewhat euphoric vent for many considering the psychological implications of the ongoing inter-intra ethno-religious altercations. Ethno-religious groups like the Arewa, IPOB, MASSOB, Pandev, OPC, Mend among others, are busy with selfish and fiery vituperations/utterances and engagements which relatively challenge the foundations of Nigeria’s existence. From restructuring to self determination, the resonance of the clamour grows by the day, placing Nigeria in a combustible mode. While applying Frustration/Aggression theory in this study, proper devolution of federating powers remain part of recommended options towards achieving the much needed sustainable economic development.