National Consciousness and Identity

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Welcome to class!

In today’s class, we will be talking about national consciousness and identity. Enjoy the class!

National Consciousness and Identity

Meaning of national consciousness

National consciousness is the feeling of love for one’s country. This is called national consciousness or nationalism. The love for one’s country should be paramount in the mind of an individual. People in a nation share the following:

1. Economic life
2. Common territory
3. Political system
4. Constitution

Meaning of national identity

National identity refers to the characteristic by which a nation can be recognized. Identity is the situation in which things are alike or same. In this wise, people from the same cultural group are different another and can easily be known for some common characteristics they possessed. For instance, the Yoruba are different from the Igbo, greeting, dressing modes, foods, dance, marriage practices, art, festival, custom, traditions and value.

Each tribe in Nigeria have different ways of life that differ from one another.

Ethnic composition for Nigeria

Ethnic Groups: Nigeria has 250 ethnic groups. The most populous and politically influential include: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%. Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, and over 500 additional indigenous languages.

The major tribe are Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.

The aspect of nationalism identity

Nationalism is an ideology and movement that promotes the interests of a particular nation (as … It further aims to build and maintain a single national identity, based on shared social characteristics such as culture.

What aspects help to create a national identity?

Language, Religion, perception of shared ancestry, shared culture, (eg. literature, music, style of dress, ornamentation and technology) and shared historical experience are the fundamentals which underlie a National Identity, but some external threat is essential for these to coalesce into a true sense of Nationality.

 

In our next class, we will be talking more about National Symbols and Their Meaning. We hope you enjoyed the class.

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