Nigeria today is faced with a lot of threats to national integration which call for appropriate emergency reactions to control the situation for peace and stability to reign.
National integration is the bond and togetherness between people irrespective of their creed,caste, religion or gender. It is the feeling of oneness, brotherhood and social unity under communities and society in a country.
National integration keeps the country unified and strong from within despite the diversities. It plays a dynamic role in making the country as one. Nevertheless, Nigeria is faced with issues, militating against national integration such as insecurity, violence arising from ethics nationalist agitation among others.
The issue of “security” had assumed prominence in public consciousness and discussion. It has turned particularly to the surge of violence (street riots, killing, arson, and other violent acts against lives and property) in so many parts of Nigeria. This is posing a serious threat to national integration. Thus, integrated entities that suffer from insecurity are likely to break as national integration calls for guaranteed social security (which is not in place).
Further more, is the issue of ethics, nationalist or separatist agitation with the fundamental assumption of securing a better life in a separate sovereign territory of the nationality agitation for such separate entity. Thus, agitation might be initiated by some concrete instance as to the saying that, there is no smoke without fire. Those agitation for that gave their own justification for it too. In that case, national integration could be a tool to be employed to address the situation.
National integration has a lot of benefits to the society at large. One of the benefits of national integration is that, it unites the minorities (which in any case should not be neglected) as well as giving them freedom to live their life in their way without any interference And this leads to the country’s development. It makes the environment to become more a better place for all to live.
The people of the country would have a chance to develop themselves in all aspects. Even more importantly, is the capability of national integration to harmoniously bind multi-racial and multilingual country (which Nigeria happens to be) which has people with diverse culture and tradition. The people will be living peacefully together and coming up with collective opinions to move forward to nation-building politically and socio economically.
Overall, national integration helps in keeping the stability of a country and adds up to its entire development.
It supports to nurture communal harmony and fights casteism, regionalism and linguism.
National integration improves the feeling of loyalty and fraternity towards the nation, It united the people in case of any national emergency. In this way, I qouted,”look at faces of people,one gets the feeling there is a lot of work to be done.” Professor Wole Soyinka
Abdulmumini Fatima Ummi
School writes from Department of Mass Communication, IBRAHIM BADAMASI BABANGIDA UNIVERSITY LAPAI,NIGER STATE