The Need for Ethnic Integration in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: A Focus of Western Niger Delta

Abstract

This paper examines the ethnical crisis ravaging the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with particular emphasis on the Western Niger Delta, specifically focusing on Warri. With this examination, the study intends to proffer solution on how to remedize future tribal/ethnical crisis with a view to bringing about unity and integration of the various ethnic groups in the region. Given the focus of this study, the paper adopts the primordialist, instrumentalist and constructivist accounts as the theoretical frameworks in analyzing ethnical crisis in the Niger Delta Region. Academic explanations of ethnic conflict generally fall into one of these three schools of thought. The paper evaluates the various claims, literatures and assertions made particularly on the original position or placement of the headquarters of Warri South local government and repudiates claims that it was initially located in Ogbe-Ijoh, an Ijaw community instead of Ogidigben, an Itsekiri village as gazetted by the federal government of Nigeria. The study advocates and recommends inter alia, the needs to uphold meritocracy and de-emphasize favoritism, nepotism and ethnicity/tribalism as a basis for gaining or obtaining supports, employment, promotion, infrastructural development and development attention either from government, individuals or groups. The paper thus advocates the need for the introduction of socio-cultural recreational centers, specifically created for socio-cultural activities for the Niger Deltans with immense and profound support from government with a view to breeding unity and integration amongst the various ethnic groups in the Niger Delta Region.

Keywords: western niger delta, ethnic, tribes, conflict, crisis, unity and integration.