PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, AND THE POLITICIZATION OF ETHNIC IDENTITY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The interplay of philosophy, religion, and ethnicity has played a defining role in shaping Nigeria’s political landscape. This article explores how philosophical thought and religious ideologies have been entangled with ethnic consciousness, contributing to the politicization of identity and the entrenchment of divisions within the Nigerian state. While philosophy ought to guide society through rational reflection and ethical reasoning, and religion should serve as a force for unity, morality, and transcendence, both have at times been co-opted to justify parochial ethnic allegiances and exclusivist political ambitions. From colonial strategies of divide and rule to post-independence manipulations of identity by political elites, the Nigerian experience reveals how ethnicity has been weaponized for political gain, often under the veneer of religious legitimacy. The article delves into how religious institutions and philosophical traditions—whether indigenous, Islamic, or Christian—have been used either to resist or reinforce ethnic boundaries. It also interrogates the implications of ethnic politicization for national unity, democratic governance, and the common good. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining political philosophy, religious ethics, and cultural analysis, the article argues for a de-politicization of ethnic identity and a reawakening of the philosophical and religious conscience of the nation. It proposes that the future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the extent to which these forces are reclaimed for justice, equity, and genuine pluralism. Only when philosophy reasserts its critical role and religion is de ethnicized can Nigeria begin to dismantle the structures that perpetuate ethnic polarization and political instability.