Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, has cautioned that Nigeria’s unresolved indigene-settler question continues to weaken national unity, cohesion, and genuine citizenship, pushing the country away from the vision of its founding fathers.
The warning comes as the European Union (EU) emphasized that Nigeria must urgently address long-standing issues surrounding identity, citizenship, and belonging to ensure a stable and prosperous future.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the National Peace Committee discourse on Nigeria’s national identity, organized by the Committee with support from the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Kukah noted that the nation’s growing culture of public dialogue reflects citizens’ willingness to find solutions.
He, however, expressed concern that the outcomes of such discussions rarely influence policies in ways that reinforce democracy or foster a sense of national belonging.
“Recent developments in Nigeria suggest that we are still so far away from the goal posts that our founding fathers set up for us,” he said, noting that unresolved tensions have turned nation-building into a “syllabus of forced errors and crises.”
Kukah recalled that national identity once occupied a central place in public debate, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, when scholars interrogated how to build a nation reflecting constitutional diversity.
He warned that many Nigerians continue to feel excluded, living amid “tension, misery, trauma and desolation” that alienates millions.
“We need to elevate the Nigerian identity to a higher pillar of common citizenship around which all other identities can stand,” he said, cautioning that failure to prioritise national identity over sub-national loyalties fuels mistrust, violence, and widening gaps between citizen expectations and state performance.
Kukah added that migration and settlement are part of human history and should not be a basis for exclusion, and stressed that Nigeria’s instability is worsened by societal fractures and the indifference and incapacity of the state.
“If we do not mend quickly, we shall break ultimately,” he warned.
Supporting the call for urgent reform, the EU said Nigeria must resolve long-standing tensions around identity, citizenship, and belonging to build a stable, prosperous future.
Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said dialogue is critical, especially amid rising insecurity, communal tensions, and social fractures.
“What is at stake is not merely social harmony but the essence of stability itself: every citizen, regardless of ancestry or length of settlement, must enjoy the rights to reside, participate and prosper,” he said, stressing that constitutional guarantees must be realised in daily practice.
Mignot urged Nigeria to move beyond narrow notions of indigeneity to embrace the creative and cosmopolitan character of its population.
Embedding residency rights and federal character principles into governance, he said, would help dismantle discriminatory practices that weaken state legitimacy and impede development.
Drawing lessons from Europe, he recalled that the continent’s ethnic diversity once fueled wars, border conflicts, and mass displacement.
“The European Union has long embraced the principle of ‘United in Diversity,’ transforming its diverse nations, cultures, and identities into a source of strength rather than division,” he said, highlighting policies promoting equality, anti-discrimination, and respect for all identities.
He added that Europe continues to face challenges with indigenous and immigrant populations, but deliberate policies and political will have enabled stability.
“Diversity should be an asset for every society, where competence and character matter more than ethnic background,” he said.
Policy strategist Kunle Fagbemi called for confronting Nigeria’s colonial legacies, warning that unresolved treaties, ethnic classifications, and constitutional inconsistencies continue to fuel the citizenship and identity crisis.
He described these legacies as “haunting ghosts” shaping political culture, elite behaviour, and institutions, and argued that the 1999 Constitution deepened divisions.
He called for a new constitution founded on inclusive, participatory governance, residency-based rights, and reforms that encourage intra-Nigerian migration while distinguishing it from cross-border movement under ECOWAS.
Fagbemi argued that the 1999 Constitution, imposed without consensus, deepened divisions and that universal rights-based citizenship models cannot succeed without addressing Nigeria’s historic fragmentation.
He stressed that genuine nation-building requires enforcement of existing laws, attitudinal change, cultural exchange, and deliberate support for cross-cultural families.
Fagbemi also criticised the political elite for exploiting ethnic divisions and bypassing statutory structures such as the Police Council in security matters.
He urged enforcement of existing laws, attitudinal change, and deliberate support for cross-cultural families to advance genuine nation-building.
Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Isa Onilu, echoed the call for unity, stressing that identity tensions influence access to opportunities, citizenship rights, and social cohesion.
Represented by Dr. Olukemi Afolayan, Director Civic, Values and Democracy Education, NOA, he highlighted initiatives such as the National Values Charter, civic education programs, and interfaith and community dialogue platforms to promote tolerance, peace, and inclusive citizenship.
“This discourse aligns with our mandate to shape national consciousness, foster unity, and cultivate shared allegiance,” Onilu said, urging Nigerians to recognize every citizen as a stakeholder beyond ethnicity or place of origin.
