Political and Social Orientation Of The Three Dominant Tribe In Nigeria

Many decades ago, Great Britain carved an area out of West Africa containing hundreds of different groups, unified it and called it Nigeria.  Although the area contained many different group, three were predominant:the Igbo, which formed 60-70% of  the population in the Southeast, the Hausa-Fulani which formed about 65% of  the people in the northern part of the territory; and the Yoruba which  formed  about 75% of the population in the southwestern part.
             The semi-feudal and  Islamic Hausa-Fulani in the north were traditionally ruled  by an autocratic, conservative Islamic hierarchy  consisting of some Emirs who in turn owed their allegiance to a supreme  Sultan. This Sultan was regarded as the source of  political power and religious authority. The Yoruba political system in the southwest, like  that of the Hausa-Fulani also consisted of series of monarchs called Obas. The Yoruba monarchs, however, were less autocratic than those in the north, and the political and social system of the Yoruba accordingly allowed for greater upward mobility based  on acquired rather than inherited  wealth or title.The Igbo the southeast in contrast to the two other groups, lived in some 600 autonomous, democratically organized villages. Although there were monarchs in this villages(whether hereditary or elected), they were largely little more than figure heads.Unlike the other two regions, decisions among the Igbos were made by a general  assembly in which every man could participate.
              The different political systems among these three groups produced highly divergent set of customs and values.Hausa-Fulani commoners, have contact  with political system through their village heads who was designated by the Emir or one of his subordinates, did not view political leader as amenable to influence. Political  decisions were to be obeyed without questions.The highly centralized and authoritarian political system elevated to position of  leadership persons willing to be subservient  and loyal to superiors, the same required by Islam for eternal salvation. One of the chief functions of the traditional political system was to maintain the Islamic religion. Hostility to economic and social innovation was therefore deeply  rooted.
               In contrast to the Hausa-Fulani, the Igbos often participated directly in the decisions which affect their lives. They had a lively awareness of political system and regarded as an instrument for achieving their own personal goals. Status was acquired through the ability to arbitrate disputes that may rise in the village, and through acquiring rather than inheriting wealth.With emphasis on achievement, individual choice and democratic decision-making, the challenges of  modernization for Igbo entailed responding to new opportunities in traditional ways.
                These tradition-derived differences were perpetuated and perhaps even enhanced by British system of colonial rule in Nigeria. In the north, the British found it convenient to rule indirectly through Emirs,thus perpetuating rather than changing indigenous authoritarian political system. As a concomitant of this system, Christian missionaries were excluded from the north, and the area thus remained virtually closed to western education and influence, in contrast to the  Igbos, the richest of who sent many of their sons to British universities. During the ensuing years, the Northern Emirs thus were able to maintain traditional, political and religious institutions while limiting social change. As a result,the north as at the time of independence in1960, was by far the most underdeveloped area in Nigeria with literacy rate of 2%as compared to 19.2% in the east. The West enjoyed a much high literacy  level, being the  first part of the country to have contact with western education in addition to the free primary education  programme of the pre-independence Western Regional Government
                  In the south, the missionaries rapidly introduced  western  form of education. Consequently the Yorubas were the first to become significantly modernized and provided the first African Civil servants, Doctors, Lawyers and other  technicians and  professionals. In Igbo area missionaries were introduced at the later day because of the British difficulty in establishing  firm control over highly autonomous  Igbo villages. However, Igbo people took the western education  zealously. Furthermore, most Igbos eventually adopted the religion of christian colonialists. By the 1940s they had transformed  themselves into one of the most educated, wealthiest and politically unified group in Nigeria and presented a serious challenge to Yoruba predominance in the civil service and other professions. Moreover, severe population pressure in Igbo home lands combined with an intense desire for economic improvements drove thousands of Igbo to other part of Nigeria in search of work.