Nigeria and state-building initiatives: A critical assessment

Abstract

The thrust of this paper is that plural and sharply divided societies like Nigeria require effective state-building initiatives to achieve national cohesion and integration as platforms for development. Five of these initiatives were assessed with the aid of secondary data anchored on textual analysis which revealed the fundamental contradictions inherent in these statebuilding measures. The character of the Nigerian state, its leading personnel and policy outcomes responsible for the current state of affairs were highlighted. The philosophical foundations and practical utility of some of these initiatives need to be revisited and tinkered with, in order to fast track national integration and development.