Identity Overlap and Context-dependent Instrumentation of Territorial Belonging: an interrogation of multiple levels of indigeneship mobilisation in Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-08-29
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge
Abstract
The subject of territorial belonging remains one of the regular
flashpoints of conflicts in contemporary politics. With identity overlap and context-dependent instrumentation of belongingness, the
question of how one identity classification attains preponderance
over others in the overlap and the character of the associated
conflicts compel studying every instance as a unique case. This
paper interrogates the instrumentation of multiple levels of indigeneship mobilisation in inclusion politics in tertiary education
institutions in Nigeria. Qualitatively drawing from vice-chancellor’s
selection politics in University of Nigeria, this paper found that four
incentives drove the preponderance of ethno-territorial indigeneship mobilisation over other levels of indigeneship mobilisation in
the institution. First, politically, the collective interests of the dominant Igbo ethnic group were held paramount in the ethnic territory.
Second, the rationales for the collective interest of the ethnic group
were widely acknowledged by all communal settlements on the
ethnic territory. Third, democratically, the phenomenon ensured
the rule of the majority in vice-chancellors’ selection politics.
Fourth, the merit prerogative of the academy, breached in interethnic struggle, remained sacrosanct in intra-ethnic competition for
the choice position. These exemplify the situation of many federal
tertiary education institutions in Nigeria and become their prominent trademarks.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Ayodeji Ladipo Alabi (2023): Identity overlap and context-dependent instrumentation of territorial belonging: an interrogation of multiple levels of indigeneship mobilisation in Nigeria, African Identities, DOI: 10.1080/14725843.2023.2251698