Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999 after long periods of military colonization. One distinguishing characteristic of this return is frequent civil strives and conflicts pitching one ethnic or religious groups against another in a case of identity politics and violence. This situation has for a long time remained a threat to our national life and peaceful-co existence. A good example is the recent crisis in Jos which is yet to be resolved and already pitched the Federal Government against the State Government.
Thus, when Ford Foundation, the International Organisation which had provided funding for development in different aspect of Nigeria’s life – education, development, arts and human rights - celebrated recently, its Golden Jubilee anniversary in Nigeria, it does so, not with partying but with a 2-Day National Conference on Citizenship and Identity Politics in Nigeria.
The conference, held in Abuja at the NICON Luxury Hotel on from 24-26 organised in collaboration with another NGO, CLEEN Foundation drew participants from more than twenty civil society groups involved in human rights issues.
In his opening address at the conference, Ford Foundation’s Programme Officer for Human Rights at the West Africa Office, Dr. Joseph Gitari who reveals that the organisation’s annual budget is $10m for the West African Region went on to inform participants that the organisation will not relent in his effort at contributing to the development in Nigeria. “Identity problem is a big problem and the best we can contribute to finding a solution to it is by bringing the attention of both the government and the public” he said.
Professor Okwudiba Nnoli who chaired the conference challenged the participants to ensure that a line is drawn between Individual and group identity politics because in his view, Individual base citizenship is a myth. “Over time we have conducted several studies on this issue but it has defiled all analysis and solution. What is the impact of our studies if the problem intensifies rather than abating” he lamented and went on to explain that citizenship is a collaboration between individuals and the state which varies depending on the dynamism of the individual and state involved.
Commending Ford Foundation on his 50th anniversary of grant making for governance and human rights in Nigeria, Mr. Innocent Chukwura, the Executive Director of Cleen Foundation in his welcome address revealed that the conference becomes necessary at this time because conflicts arising from identity politics and problems have led to so much blood letting, destruction of properties, displacements and disruption of people’ and livelihoods in Nigeria. “In the last ten years of elected civilian government, it is estimated that over 20,000 people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands displaced in over 200 outbreaks of violence traceable to identity related disputes” he added.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria’s deputy Senate Present who declared the conference open through his representative, Mr Tobi Okechukwu, charged the organizers to take their campaign to the public. “The issues we are discussing here should not remain a purely academic matter treated in the comfort of a hotel. There is the need too take our campaign to the street” he advised and the appeal to them to bring whatever they intend to do within the context of law once the problems are identified. The Senate President however revealed the Senate’s readiness to partner with Cleen and Ford Foundation in addressing the issue of identity politics especially as it is set to review the nation’s constitution.
Having declared the conference, the participants broke into plenary session where Professor Ashutosh Varshney of the Department of Political Science, Brown University, Providence, USA presented a paper Citizenship and Identity Politics: The Indian Experience while Professor Ogoh Alubo of the Department of Sociology at the University of Jos presented a paper on Citizenship and Identity in Nigeria.
Some of the personalities present at opening ceremony of the conference include Chief Chika Ezeife, former Governor of Old Anambra State, Mr. Yinka Odumakin of the Afenifere Renewal Group, a representative of the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Shiunkafi of the Arewa Consultative Forum and a host of civil societies and guests invited to the event.
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