MUSA-ODODO ABDULRAHAMAN
Understanding the Colonial Legacy: Merchants, Not Nation-Builders
The colonial enterprise in Nigeria was not a mission of nation-creation but a calculated system of resource extraction and economic exploitation. The British came as master merchants and administrators of empire, not as visionaries of a united people. They amalgamated diverse ethnicities, cultures, civilizations, and kingdoms into a geographical entity called Nigeria, not out of any noble aspiration for unity, but for administrative and commercial convenience.
Nigeria, as conceived by the British, was never designed to be a Nation. It was a territory of trade, a supply depot for raw materials, and a marketplace for finished goods. The structures of governance, the educational systems, and the regional divisions were all tailored to perpetuate division, dependency, and subservience – not unity, independence of mind, or national consciousness.
Hence, what we inherited at independence in 1960 was not a nation in the true sense, but a political shell – a country without a coherent soul, a map without a unified mission.
The Struggle of Our Founding Fathers: Heroic, Yet Incomplete
Our Great Founding Fathers – heroes of their time – fought valiantly to liberate Nigeria from colonial rule. Through their courage, political sagacity, and patriotic fervor, they won us Independence. However, their mission – noble as it was – stopped at freedom from external domination.
They gave us a Country, but not a Nation.
They fought for self-rule, but did not (or perhaps could not) forge a Unifying National Identity, one Rooted in Shared Destiny, Transcendent Values, and Common Purpose. They inherited a deeply fragmented society. After Independence, there had been no Conscious effort of Creating a Nation we can call our own.
Defining the Terms
Independence
Independence refers to freedom from external control. It can be granted by an imperial power or achieved through struggle. It represents political liberation, a significant step in any people’s journey toward self-determination. But it is not the destination.
Independence is geopolitical.
It is legal and diplomatic.
It can be obtained in a moment.
Nationhood
Nationhood is the Awakening of Collective Consciousness. It is the Inner Life of a People, the invisible thread that binds them together – not by coercion, but by shared values, historical memory, Spiritual Essence, and a Common Dream.
Nationhood is Psychological, Spiritual, and Cultural.
It is a Process, not a Declaration.
It must be Consciously and Deliberately Cultivated.
Key Differences
Independence: Political freedom from foreign control
Nationhood: Inner unity and shared identity
Independence: Can be granted or negotiated
Nationhood: Must be Consciously Created
Independence: Achieved at a point in time
Nationhood: An ongoing process of Evolution
Independence: External liberation
Nationhood: Internal cohesion
Independence: A country
Nationhood: A Nation
The Consequences of Confusion
The failure to distinguish between independence and nationhood remains one of Nigeria’s greatest postcolonial tragedies. Many assumed that once the Union Jack was lowered and the Green-White-Green hoisted, nationhood had been achieved. This is the subtle ignorance that still haunts us.
Without a Shared Identity and Purpose, we became a country of competitors instead of a Nation of Collaborators.
Tribalism replaced patriotism.
Power struggles overshadowed shared progress.
Leadership became a game of who gets what, not how we build together.
Our institutions reflect our confusion: we administer a Country, but have not Nurtured a Nation.
The Way Forward: Conscious Nation-Creation
To move from Countryhood to Nationhood, we must engage in Conscious Statecraft. This requires:
- A New National Narrative – One that Transcends tribe, region, and religion.
- A National Value System – Rooted in Justice, Love, Truth, and Unity.
- A Shared Identity – Humanity is Life must become more than a slogan; it must be our Sacred Bond.
- Ethical leadership and enlightened citizenry – Politics must be seen not as power play but the Sacred art of Nation-building.
- Education for Consciousness – A total reorientation of minds and hearts to know that being Nigerian is not merely a label, but a Purpose.
Final Illumination
Independence gave us freedom to govern.
Nationhood will give us the reason to thrive.
Independence gave us a state.
Nationhood will give us a Soul.
Until we realize that a country is not yet a nation, we will continue to experience underdevelopment, division, and disillusionment.
Let us, therefore, Arise as a People – not just to govern ourselves, but to Become Ourselves.
Let us Consciously Build the Nigerian Nation – not merely with bricks and borders, but with Truth, Justice, Wisdom, and a United Soul.
Shepherd of the Nigerian Destiny
Musa-Ododo Abdulrahaman
Convener, The Conscious Creation of a New Nigeria
Chairman, National Policy Dialogue.
www.nationalpolicydialogue.org
