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About two years ago, the late Libyan leader, Muamman Gaddafi called for Nigeria to be split into two. According to the Libyan leader, splitting Nigeria “would stop the bloodshed and burning of places of worship.â€
At the time, he compared Nigeria to India and Pakistan in 1947 saying that the partition of India and Pakistan saved the lives of millions.
I agreed with Gaddafi two years ago and still agree with him. Here in my opinion are three reasons why Nigeria should be split into two:
1. Boko Haram: The recent bombings of Churches on Christmas Day makes this point bleedingly obvious. The Boko Haram sect which argues that it is against Western education is at odds with the country’s South which is overwhelmingly pro-Western Education. Given the spate of violence, it appears that both parties cannot co-habite peacefully without bloodshed. Conspiracy theorists also argue that the attacks are politically motivated and are an attack on Nigeria’s Southern President, President Goodluck Jonathan. Given Southern Nigeria’s overwhelming vote for the current President, it is only clear that both sides, (i.e., the North and the South) don’t see eye to eye on the current Presidency.
2. Political Liberation: For a long time, the understanding in the corridors of power has been that there has been a gentlemanly agreement between the nation’s Northern and Southern parts that the North will preside over the country’s political leadership while the South will preside over the economic leadership of the nation.The non-adherence to this agreement is rumored to be the cause of our current insecurity woes as the election of a Southern President now gives the Nigerian South both economic and political power. However, the truth is that in the case of Nigeria, political and economic power makes sense to be given to whoever is best able to deliver the best outcome for Nigerians irrespective of ethnic or tribal sentiments. As Africa’s second largest economy, Nigeria as a nation cannot afford to be bound to an agreement that has in the past subjected the nation to less than ideal outcomes. Northern political dominance has historically stood in the way of economic advancement through poor leadership and it is becoming clear that the political mantle should be given to whoever is most capable.
3. Economic Prosperity: Though Nigeria is oil rich, it is also home to over 150 million people, a number that makes it the most populous black nation on earth. While this can be viewed as a strength, it can also be viewed as a weakness. With so many people, the oil wealth has to be shared by a large population, leaving less oil wealth than will be ideal per person. (This is of course holding constant external leakage avenues stemming from corruption). Given points one and two mentioned above which serve as two fundamental issues in which the Northern and Southern parts of the country do not agree on, it only makes sense in the interest of peace to split the nation into two and allow both entities to achieve peace and prosperity independently.
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