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Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

State Building, Ethnic Studies

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Full-Text Articles in Defense and Security Studies

The Scramble For Lugard House: Ethnic Identity Politics And Recurring Tensions In Kogi State, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji Jan 2012

The Scramble For Lugard House: Ethnic Identity Politics And Recurring Tensions In Kogi State, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Successive Nigerian constitutions have always sought to legally prevent identities such as ethnic, religion, and regionalism from being the basis of political organisation and contest for state power. In Kogi state, Nigeria, the reality of the situation has been, however, far from its outward appearance. This is because, ethnic identity politics have not only proved to be resilient, but a in a wave of resurgence, have fast become a common feature in its body politics leading to incessant ethno-factionalism and tension in the state. This article explores the linkage between the nature of Nigerian democracy, ethnic identity politics, and escalating …


Normative Approaches To Ethnic Recognition And Accommodation:Their Applicability To The Nigerian Experience, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji Jan 2012

Normative Approaches To Ethnic Recognition And Accommodation:Their Applicability To The Nigerian Experience, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

This article explores the central theme in the normative philosophy arguments of Michael Walzer; Charles Taylor; and Will Kymlicka and their applicability to the state building processes and constitutional politics in Nigeria. The main argument of these scholars is that, in a multicultural society, equality and justice; unity and stability are likely to prevail if state building and constitutional processes of a country recognises and accommodates ethnic diversity. Critically applied, the article observes that since liberal democratic values are not well rooted in the Nigerian body politics, the specifi city of the Nigerian state would have to be recognised for …


Growing Ethnopolitical Conflict And The Challenge Of "One" Nigeria: Politics Of State Building In A Multiethnic Society, 1960-2010, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji Jan 2010

Growing Ethnopolitical Conflict And The Challenge Of "One" Nigeria: Politics Of State Building In A Multiethnic Society, 1960-2010, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Since October 1, 1960 when Nigeria attained political independence, it has being witnessing a steady growth of ethnopolitical and religious crises in its body politics. The central concern of this paper is that, ethnopolitical conflicts are posing great challenge to Nigeria’s unity, sovereignty and legitimacy that may lead to its consequential collapse. The worry of this paper is that, rather than diminishing after over five decades of political independence, ethnopolitical conflict has since the 1990s not only become more ferocious and alarming, but are also shifting from ethnic accommodation to ethnic self-determination. This paper is part of an ongoing PhD …


The Growing Inter-Ethnic Conflicts In Contemporary Nigeria: Is Ethnic Security Dilemma A Root Cause?, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji Dec 2008

The Growing Inter-Ethnic Conflicts In Contemporary Nigeria: Is Ethnic Security Dilemma A Root Cause?, Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Ali Simon Yusufu Bagaji

Nigeria is ethnically a diverse nation-state. Its ethnic diversity, like that of the United State of America ideally is a source of strength. However on the contrary, analysis of post independence inter-ethnic relations in Nigeria indicates surge from ‘ethnic accommodation to ethnic agitation’. Consequently, due to frequent inter-ethnic conflict, the task ‘to keep Nigeria one’ is therefore more than ever becoming an uphill task. This article explores the root causes of the growing inter-ethnic conflicts in contemporary Nigeria from the perspective of the ethnic security dilemma prism and concludes that it is a relevant explanatory tool for understanding it.