Northern Identity And The Politics Of Culture In Nigeria 1945-1966

📄 Project Abstract

The thesis begins with a review of the literature on Nigerian nationalism, in which it is argued that we can also speak of something called 'Northern nationalism', despite the rarity of demands for separate statehood. The period of study is defined by political events - the end of the Second World War and the military coup of January 1966 - because Northern identity was fundamentally a political phenomenon, conditioned by the important events of the day. It was, however, expressed in cultural terms. The events described by the thesis can, it is argued, be divided into three loosely overlapping periods. In the first (c. 1945-1953), Northern identity was in a fluid state, lacking definition. In the second (c. 1953-1962), Northern nationalists asserted the primacy of Nigeria's regional boundaries over any other demands for loyalty. This was largely in reaction to an older One-Nigeria nationalism, articulated by southern intellectuals. In the third period (c. 1962- 1964), Northern national...