Migration, Conflicts, and Statehood Problem in Nigeria: The Self-Determination Issue

Olajide O. Akanji

Abstract

This paper interrogates the interface between migration, conflicts and the challenges of state building in Nigeria. This is because the numerous political conflicts and series of recurring sub-national tensions in the country, pose a serious threat to the country's corporate existence and democratic survival. However, the paper contends that the issue of right to self-determination is the major factor underpinning most of the country's lingering protracted conflicts. This issue, the paper argues, is an offshoot of the patterns of migratory flow in the political history of the country compounded by colonialism and the country's governing class.