One good thing President Tinubu has got going for him is that he is not a man who creates ethnic mistrust. He now needs to build on this by unveiling a Nigerian Inter-Marriage Support Bill

Ayo Akinfe

[1] One headache that has always plagued Nigeria since independence is the problem of ethnic mistrust. It is like a cancer that simply refuses to go away. Ethnic mistrust will always act as a check on economic growth as apart from breeding insecurity, it stifles attempts to eradicate illiteracy

[2] Why the problem is so pronounced in Nigeria is not hard to see. Nigeria is essentially seven average African nations combined into one. If you look at it, the Oyo Empire, Benin Empire, Igbo City State, Middle Belt City States, Kanem-Borno Empire. Niger Delta City State and Sokoto Caliphate could easily stand alone as individual nations. However, Frederick Lugard had this vision of building this African giant south of the Sahara

[3] If you look at say Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zambia, Botwana, Gabon, Ethiopia etc, they are not homogenous but do not have any of the complexities of Nigeria. Ghana for instance is about as complex as say the Niger Delta City states, while Ethiopia is about as complex as the Sokoto Caliphate. Nigeria wanted to become independent in 1951 but alas, we could not agree on a way forward until 1960. Within that period, Ghana who latched on to our idea managed to become independent in 1957

[4] We got where we are thanks to the divisive politics of the British colonialists. In the run-up to independence, they fuelled the ethnic divisions to prevent the components parts of Nigeria coming together and speaking with one voice. This same principle was adopted in India in an even more brutal fashion

[5] Today, ethnic and religious mistrust has grown to such an extent that it is scary. When you add the killings by armed Fulani thugs and the kidnapping we are witnessing across the country to the mix, it is easy to predict that there will soon be ethnic pogroms across Nigeria as we witnessed in 1966

[6] Now, we simply have to find a solution to this problem and return to the relative peace of the past. During the Shagari era for instance, nobody in Nigeria felt marginalised. Back then, even corruption was multi-ethnic and equal opportunity

[7] Between 1979 and 1983, free oil money was shared evenly between Alex Ekwueme, Umaru Dikko, Adisa Akinloye and Joseph Wayas. Nobody stole money without settling his pals from other parts of the country

[8] Prof Obaro Ikime used to tell us back in UI that the solution to Nigeria's myriad of ethnic problems was inter-marriages. Now, this may not be the sole solution but it could help immensely. I think the government needs to at least push this as hard as it can to chip away at the growing craze of ethnic mistrust

[9] One suggestion is for the National Assembly to pass an Inter-Marriage Support Bill 2019 that will offer anyone who marries across the ethnic divide, reduced rate mortgages, low interest business start--up bank loans and preference when it comes to employment and appointments

[10] As part of this programme, special Wazobia housing estates should be built to accommodate those who marry across the ethnic divide. Anyone who breaches the Wazobia principle, however, should be evicted immediately