Consequences of Ethnicity in Nigeria

Back to: Civic Education Primary 4

Ethnicity II

Consequences of ethnicity

1. Communal conflict: Ethnicity may lead to communal war. One community may clash with another community due to the promotion of ethnicity in a society.
2. Political violence: If ethnicity is encouraged in a society, it may lead to violence between one political group and another. Violence does not promote the growth and development of a country.
3. Nepotism/Discrimination: When ethnicity is promoted, people in authority will favour their family members and give their social group and ethnic group undue advantage over other groups.
4. Underdevelopment: Underdevelopment is a situation where there are few industries and people’s living standards are very low. Underdevelopment could also be in terms of lack of provision of social amenities like electricity, pipe borne water, good roads, hospitals, and schools. Ethnicity sometimes brings about underdevelopment because, while some areas are developed, others are neglected. When ethnicity is practised, the government will favour one area more than the others. This is bad and should be discouraged.
5. Waste of manpower: Manpower refers to human resources or qualified workers. Workers that are qualified or skilled may not be given jobs because they belong to one ethnic group or another, and this leads to a waste of manpower.
6. Political instability: When ethnicity is promoted or practised in a country, the group that is not well treated will be unhappy. This may lead to a forceful change of government.
7. Disunity: If ethnicity is encouraged in a society or country, such a society will lack unity. Disunity does not lead to progress. Unity helps a country to achieve her goals.
8. Absence of loyalty to the nation: Ethnicity breeds disloyalty. Citizens will not be willing to serve their country with all their heart and mind. They will always put their interest before the interest of the state or country.

 

Quiz

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the meaning of ethnicity?
2. Identify three causes of ethnicity in Nigeria.
3. Mention three consequences of ethnicity in the country.

 

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