Introduction

Prior to the incursion of the European colonials into present-day Nigeria, the various ethnicities

lived differently as separate entities, organized to suit their ways of life. The Igbo society was

acephalous and promoted an egalitarian economic system. However, in the late 19th century,

the British colonized the region and went on to forcefully integrate these disparate ethnicities

into a definite territory– to aid their exploitation of the region for their selfish economic needs.

Thus, by 1914, with the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates by Lord

Lugard, this forcefully established territory became known as Nigeria. Decades later, the British

colonial government handed power back to the Nigerian nationalists on October 1, 1960. Under

the Independent government, these varied ethnicities continued to thrive and in a bid to

ensure a cohesive union among them, a federal system of government was adopted along with

the British Parliamentary form of government to ensure that each ethnic group is well

represented. However, by 1966 the Independent government was interrupted by military coup

d'etats that brought the first republic to an end and launched the Country into years of military

regimes.

January 15, 1966, Coup marked a turning point in Nigeria's history. It exposed the animosity

harboured by the other major ethnicities towards the Igbo people. Beginning from the May 29,

1966 riots to the July 29, 1966 counter-coup which they claimed was a counter-coup where the

Igbo people were targeted and massacred in their numbers. The mass genocide of the Igbo

people between May and September of 1966 became a rationale for the Igbo clamour for

secession which led to the Nigerian Civil War of 1967. It is pertinent to note that, despite
General Yakubu Gowon's claim of "No Victor-No Vanquished" the Igbo people were dealt with,

history has it that about three million men, women and children of the Igbo stock lost their lives

to the world. After the war, certain policies were drafted that seemed to further impede the

recuperation of the Igbo people and their economy. Moreover, in contemporary times, not

much has changed in the way they are treated. Ranging from marginalization, especially in the

political sphere and provision of social amenities, amongst others would make one wonder if

the Igbo people have been strong benefactors of the one Nigeria of Lord Lugard.

In tandem with this backdrop, this paper will attempt to establish that to claim that the Igbo

people are the greatest benefactors of one Nigeria is a facade that is glaring. Instances of

marginalization, political instability, and ethnic and religious conflicts among others have made

"One Nigeria" unfavourable to the Igbo ethnicity.

 The Igbo People in Nigeria

Following the Igbo's reabsorption into the Nigerian state in 1970, the clamour for secession

wavered, however, it reawakened due to cases of marginalization towards the Igbo people

even in contemporary Nigeria, thus, negating the assertion that every Nigerian citizen is an

equal benefactor of resources and allocations. However, to access a judgement of the research

without bias, it is pertinent that the meritorious benefits of one Nigeria to the Igbo people are

highlighted in anterior to the downsides of the compelling integration.

Benefits of One Nigeria to the Igbo

Economic opportunities: Tracing back to the history of the Igbo people, one would realize that

they are a people involved in long-distance trade across their boundaries with neighbouring

communities. O. Njoku notes, "One of the distinguishing features of Igbo traditional

metalworking is that it was intensely mobile. Igbo smiths were habituated to touring different

parts of Southern Nigeria." This inherent spirit of touring around for trading purposes remains

aglow in them, even presently. Nigeria's large and diverse economy provides opportunities for

the Igbo people to trade and do business with people from other ethnic groups and regions

within the country. This has allowed the Igbo people to expand their businesses and create

wealth.

Cultural Exchange: Culture can be defined as “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a

particular people or society”, so a cultural exchange is simply sharing any aspects of your
culture with someone else from a different background to you, and vice versa. Ideas on foods,

language, and ways of dressing are often interchanged when cultures mix. Being part of a

diverse nation allows the Igbo people to interact with other ethnic groups and learn from their

cultures and traditions.

Downsides of One Nigeria to the Igbo People

The Igbo people's presence in Nigeria is beneficial to the former, however, the downsides of

their presence in the country far outweigh its benefits. For a Federal Democratic nation where

fairness and the right of every citizen ought to be protected and well represented, the Igbo

people have been marginalized, unfairly represented in government and even lack certain

infrastructures that are needed to further the economy of the South-Eastern region.

Marginalization: The Igbo people have often felt marginalized in the Nigerian political and

economic system, leading to feelings of exclusion and discrimination. The Igbo ethnic group is

excluded, discriminated against, or treated unfairly in Nigeria's political, economic, and social

systems. There have been several instances of marginalization of the Igbo people in Nigeria's

history, some of which include:

 Political exclusion: The Igbo people have often felt excluded from Nigeria's political

system, with limited representation in the federal government and few opportunities

for political participation. This has led to feelings of marginalization and discrimination.

An example is the recent events that occurred in the just concluded Presidential and

Gubernatorial elections in the country on February 25 and March 18, 2023, respectively.

The Igbo people in Lagos were disenfranchised by the Yoruba thugs in the area. Many
 that doggedly exercised theirs were attacked. The Yoruba claimed that the Igbo people

had no right to decide on a leader in a Yoruba land. This then negates the assertion that

any Nigerian qualified to vote could vote in any part of Nigeria.

 Exclusion in Infrastructural Development: the distribution of infrastructural projects has

been lopsided and questionable at best. In 2020, in justification of the contentious $22.7

billion loan, the Federal Government outlined thirty-four projects to be financed by the

facility with none of these earmarked for the Southeast region. The National Assembly

approved this loan without an interrogation of the individual projects, and while the

Southeast will not partake as a beneficiary, they would partake in its repayment.

Projects worth $1.2 billion have been ongoing in Kaduna-Kano and $1.9 billion in Kano-Maradi

despite years of the Boko Haram insurgency, while the railway construction in the East was

discontinued under the guise of insecurity.

 Poor Representation: Section 4(3) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that the Federal

Government shall conduct its affairs in such a way that ensures that there shall be no

predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional

groups in that Government or any of its agencies. This provision in the constitution was

established to manage the diverse nature of the Nigerian state. However, under the

current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress,

no Southeasterner was deemed worthy to lead any of the ten major security agencies in

Nigeria. About eight of these are from the Northern region, one from the South-South

and the other from the Southwest.

Ethnic and Religious Crises: Ethnic and Religious crises have increased since the Fourth

Republic, perhaps due to democracy and its freedom of several rights. The Igbo people suffered

from such a crisis notably from 1966, and even present in some Northern regions. In 2000, with

the introduction of the Sharia law in Kaduna state, there were protests against it from the

Christians who constituted at least half of the population, and it degenerated into clashes.

According to B.Salawu, "In the Kaduna riots, the Igbo tribe (a predominantly Christian ethnic

group) was mostly affected." Thus, the idea of living in a Nation where their lives are not

protected, and their freedom to protest albeit in a democratic society seems to be impeded as

well makes it are to claim that they are the greatest beneficiaries of the union.

Conclusion

The people of the South Eastern region; the Igbo people are not the greatest beneficiaries of

"One Nigeria", this has been asserted in the core of this paper. Rather, the other ethnicities

especially those from the Northern and Western regions seem to have benefitted more. They

are at the helm of political affairs, and social amenities and infrastructures are provided for

them while the Igbo people are politically, socially and even economically excluded from

partaking in the resourceful aspects of the Country. Thus, making them the lesser beneficiaries

of the sham called "One Nigeria."

 Bibliography

A.E. Afigbo, "Prolegomena to the Study of the Culture History of the Igbo-Speaking Peoples of

Nigeria, West Africa." Print

P. Obi-Ani, "Post-cicil War Nigeria: Reconciliation or Vendetta?" Print.

Frank Nweke Jr. Speech presented in PAA, UNN.

https://greenheart.org/blog/greenheart-international/what-is-cultural-exchange/

#:~:text=Cultural%20exchange%20is%20sharing%20different,different%20background%20than

%20your%20own.