Title:   RETHINKING APARTHEID, XENOPHOBIA AND IDENTITY POLITICS: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract
Apartheid, racism and xenophobia are pejorative terms that express discrimination between the white and the black race. Segregation between the white and black is obviously well-pronounced, whereas segregation among the black race despite its dissension and divisiveness is subtly acknowledged. While white-black segregation causes visible tension, conflict and contentions over rights and privileges overtly; the segregation among the black race internalizes hatred, unhealthy competitions and covert contentions over rights. In Nigeria, issues of federal character, state of origin, quota system, indigene/settler citizenship and primitive land tenure system are instituted systems tantamount to apartheid which had exacerbated discrimination, xenophobic and identity politics in Nigeria. Others are informal but social prejudices like ridiculing of speech ascent and facial marks and derogatory name-calling among the various ethnic groups. The paper adopts qualitative research methodology and uses primordial, constructivist and instrumentalist theories of ethnicity to explicate how identities have been constructed along racial, linguistic, ethnic and cultural affiliations which has created xenophobic and prejudiced relations akin to apartheid in Nigeria. Considering the Nigerian motto, “unity and faith, peace and progress” the position of the paper is that xenophobic, segregation, discrimination and identity politics have severely undermined the faith of Nigerians, hence; unity, peace and progress remain unfeasible.
Keywords: Apartheid, Identity Politics, Racism, Segregation, Xenophobia

Citations:

Publication Date: 2022-03-03