An Appraisal of the Protection of National Minorities under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution: Lessons from Other Jurisdictions

Abstract

The protection of national minorities is a crucial aspect of most countries’ constitutional law to ensure equal treatment of all citizens regardless of gender, birth or status. However, in Nigeria, such protection remains a mirage rather than reality. The Nigerian political structure is skewed in favor of the major ethnic groups based on demographic and geographic space offering vast opportunities to power and political dominance in an otherwise heterogeneous society. This paper investigated the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to protect national minorities. It utilized the doctrinal methodology and comparative approach to examine the efficiency of the different mechanisms put in place to protect national minorities in Nigeria, such as the federal character principle, local government system, National Youth Service Corps scheme and boundary adjustments. The paper also drew comparative lessons from other jurisdictions like South Africa, USA, Brazil, India, and Pakistan to conclude that Nigeria must follow these countries to meet international best practices in the protection of national minorities.

Keywords: National minorities, ethnicity, federal character principle, national integration, human right

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/137-04

Publication date:October 31^st 2023