Consociationalism: Its relevance for Nigeria

Abstract

Studies by political scientists and theorists have identified ethnicity and ethnonationalism as potential obstacles to democracy and political stability in multiethnic states. Nigeria as a pluralistic polity shares in this category of countries where fierce competition for power among its various ethnic groups has made governing a difficult task. In this study, the objective was to find what relevance consociationalism has for the volatile Nigerian multicultural question. The result of the study shows that although a consociational arrangement would be difficult in the Nigerian political milieu, yet, it remains probably, among other options, one of the most feasible ways to peace and political stability in the most populous and most culturally diversified black nation in the world.