IDENTITY CRISIS OF THE IGBO NATION AND MARGINALIZATION OF THE ΑΝΙΟΜΑ PEOPLE OF DELTA STATE

Abstract

The resurgence of group-based agitations that has intensified in Nigeria since the commencement of the Fourth Republic largely reflects the widespread perception of ethno-sectional marginalization within the country. As a developing nation where both objective and subjective factors that promote nationalism and national consciousness remain relatively weak, and where diverse ethnic groups often interact in an atmosphere of intense competition, suspicion, and mistrust, ethno-sectional marginalization has become a reality that is more apparent than imagined. There is substantial evidence to indicate that identity crises and marginalization are closely linked, with each phenomenon reinforcing the other. This study examines the condition of the Anioma people in present-day Delta State and finds that they have been significantly marginalized within Nigeria’s political and socio-economic landscape. The study further observes that the crisis surrounding Igbo identity has contributed to this marginalization and argues that, until the Igbo people establish a strong and positive collective identity, the marginalization of the Anioma people, as well as other Igbo-related groups in Nigeria, is likely to persist. The paper therefore envisions a Nigerian society free from ethno-sectional identity crises, where community marginalization is eliminated through practical, logical, and empirically grounded recommendations that have been tested and validated by relevant theories.