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Abstract
One of the most neglected aspects of the national question discourse in Nigeria is on the role of land as a site and source of conflicts, especially given the increasing demand for its redistribution and reform in the periods before and after the implementation of the structural adjustment programme. This study discusses land as a crucial aspect of the national question discourse in Nigeria. It examines the question of how colonialism – through its policies and programmes as well as the administrative structures and political systems put in place by the colonial state – introduced new complications and dimensions to the land question, mainly through the creation and development of contradictions in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria. Drawing on data generated from focus group discussions and oral interviews carried out across the locations with pronounced incidences of land-based conflicts in the six states across South-Western Nigeria, it examines the impact of economic considerations in the ethnically motivated conflicts in Nigeria over land from 1999 to 2015. It establishes the contradictions and injustices characterising the articulation of the citizenship question vis-à-vis various ethnic majorities and minorities as well as historically dominant minorities, especially indigenes and settlers in Nigerian history and politics; and how these generate violent ethnic protests, struggles and other divisive consequences. Tapping into ethnicity, migration and other issues underlying intergroup polarisation, it discusses the conflicts between Hausa–Fulani pastoralists and indigenous Yoruba farmers in South-Western Nigeria as an illustration of the contradictions underpinning citizenship and the prevailing frameworks of land ownership in Africa.
[Les minorités ethniques et la question foncière au Nigéria.] Un des aspects les plus négligés du discours sur la question nationale au Nigéria concerne le rôle de la terre en tant que zone et source de conflits, étant donné, en particulier, la demande croissante pour sa redistribution et réforme au moment des périodes précédant et succédant la mise en place du programme d’ajustement structurel. Cette étude débat de la terre comme un aspect crucial du discours sur la question nationale au Nigéria. Elle analyse la question de la manière dont le colonialisme – à travers ses politiques et programmes ainsi que les structures administratives et les systèmes politiques mis en place par l’État colonial – a introduit de nouvelles complications et dimensions à la question foncière, principalement à travers la création et le développement de contradictions dans le Nigéria colonial et postcolonial. Utilisant des données générées par les groupes de discussion et des interviews dans des endroits ayant d’incidences marquées de conflit lié à la question foncière dans les six états du Nigeria du Sud Ouest, elle examine l’impact de considérations économiques dans les conflits à la base d’ethnicité au Nigeria sur la question foncière entre 1999 et 2015. Elle identifie les contradictions et les injustices caractérisant l’articulation de la question de la citoyenneté vis-à-vis des différentes majorités et minorités ethniques ainsi que des minorités dominantes historiquement, en particulier les indigènes et les colons dans l’histoire et la politique nigériane ; et comment ceci a provoqué des protestations ethniques violentes, des luttes et d’autres facteurs de dissensions. Se référant à l’ethnicité, à la migration et aux autres questions sous-tenant la polarisation entre les groupes, elle traite des conflits violents entre les éleveurs Hausa-Fulani et les paysans indigènes Yoruba dans le Nigéria du Sud Ouest comme un exemple des contradictions qui habitent la citoyenneté et les cadres de propriété foncière en place en Afrique.
Acknowledgements
Between September and December 2015 this author was a Senior Fellow of the Social Science Research Council at the West African Research Centre, Dakar, Senegal and the Institute of African Studies of Columbia University, New York, USA. The author is also grateful to Adigun A. B. Agbaje, Ayokunle O. Omobowale, Browne O. Onuoha, Cyril I. Obi, Ebrima Sall, Eghosa E. Osaghae, Jinny K. Prais, John A. A. Ayoade, Mamadou Diouf, Osisioma B. C. Nwolise, Ousmane Sene, Peter O. Olapegba and the anonymous reviewers whose comments and goodwill contributed immensely to the overall quality of this work. Furthermore, Abdoulaye Niang, Casey G. McNamara, Dagan Rossini and Mariane Yade also deserve to be mentioned for their excellent administrative and logistical services.
Note on contributor
Jeremiah O. Arowosegbe (PhD, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria) is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. His research specialisations include African development, African intellectual history and African studies. His teaching interests include African political thought, political philosophy and political theory. His recent publications include an edited special section of Social Dynamics: A Journal of African Studies 40 (2) 2014 on ‘African studies and knowledge production in the universities in postcolonial Africa’ and a book titled Claude E. Ake: the making of an organic intellectual (Pretoria, UNISA Press, 2016). Email: [email protected] and [email protected].
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. This is a major conclusion of the Framework and guidelines on land policy in Africa which was endorsed by the Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Land and Livestock held in April 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AU-ECA-AfDB Citation2010). Implementation of the Framework and guidelines was urged in the AU Declaration on land issues and challenges in Africa adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union meeting held in Sirte, Libya, in July 2009 (AU Citation2009).
2. Oral interviews conducted with traditional rulers in Sagamu local government area of Ogun State between 2010 and 2015.
3. See the Niger Lands Transfer Ordinance. ONPROF 11/1/1/, NAE.
4. For illustrations of this experience across Nigeria and West Africa, see Robert Shenton (1986).
5. This information is based on the focused group discussions conducted by this researcher with the Hausa–Fulani pastoralists and Yoruba farmers in Sagamu, Nigeria, between 2009 and 2015.
6. This incident was witnessed by this researcher.
7. These figures were extracted from the Departments of Public Prosecution at the Ministries of Justice in the six states. Importantly, although there were no records on the specific numbers of casualties, in all of these cases human lives were lost.
8. Focused group discussions conducted with Hausa–Fulani pastoralists in the six states between 2013 and 2015.
9. This figure was extracted from the Department of Public Prosecution at the Ministry of Justice, in Ibadan, Oyo State. Although not with exact precision, this information was also supported by Alhaji Suleiman Muhammadu, the Sarkin Fulani of Eruwa, in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State.
10. This is according to Alhaji Suleiman Muhammadu, the Sarkin Fulani of Eruwa, in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State; Alhaji Salihu Kadiri, the Sarkin Fulani of Gaa Salihu, Igangan, in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State; Alhaji Idrissa Abubakar, the Sarkin Fulani of Igbo-Ora, in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State; Alhaji Rilwan O. Diga, the Sarkin Fulani of Ado-Awaaye and Waasinmi, in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State; Alhaji Umaru Ali Garkwa, the Sarkin Fulani of Saki, in Saki West Local Government Area of Oyo State; and Alhaji Inuwa Garba Sarki, Ciroman Sagamu, Secretary-General of Sarkin Hausawa-in-Council, Sagamu, and also the Secretary-General of Ogun State Council of Hausa–Fulani traditional rulers.