nationalism Flashcards
What is nationalism?
Nationalism
This is somewhat a complex concept to grasp in terms of definition because there is no single factor to which it could be traced. Nationalism is usually a passion for unity, community of tribes, geographical contiguity, religious and cultural affinity and, to crown it all, political and historical aspirations. It is, therefore, a phenomenon derived from the word nation which Price (1967: 24) defines as an association of men and women who have or believe that they have the following things in common: common ancestry; common history and tradition; common language, common culture, common religion and shares common boundary. Nationality is another word very close to nationalism but Appadorai (1968:15) defines it as a spiritual sentiment or principle arising from amongst a number of people usually of the same race, resident on the same territory, sharing common language, the same religion, similar history and traditions, common interests, with common political associations and common ideas of political unity .
Again, the word nationalism can also be explained within the prism of a State given the symbiotic relationship between the two concepts - nation and State . In fact, the two concepts are often used interchangeably or as a compound word but going by the definition of a State, one would notice certain characteristics of it that cannot be attributed to a nation and vice versa. While it is true that a State is also a territorial association of men and women like a nation, they may not necessarily share common attributes of tribal affinity like a nation. A State is an association organized for specific purposes with a clearly defined territory and an organized system of government. A nation may or may not have its territory as clearly defined as that of a State. For instance, Yoruba nation has its territory across two modern nation-states i.e. The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Benin Republic. The Hausa- Fulani nation also has its territory cut across many countries in West Africa. Many examples abound, even within the Nigerian States.
similarities and differences between a Nation and a State:
some similarities and differences between a Nation and a State:
Nation State Members shares or believe the yI t is in most cases an artificial creation, share certain things in common binding diverse people together. No inherent spiritual quality. Territory may not be cl early A clearly defined territory over which it defines. May spread across many exercise coercive powers States Modern nations lack sovereign States are sovereign over their territories powers May have organized government. It is a prerequisite e to have an organized with a system of laws government with a system of laws There is a feeling of nationality or may lack the feeling of nationality or oneness one-ness. This leads us to the myths and conceptual analysis of nationalism for the purpose of this course. To many people nationalism connotes a tendency of warfare between ethnic groups or as the force that destabilizes multi-ethnic countries. However, this view is wide off the mark because of the fact that nationalism is a phenomenon that affects peoples everyday actions in many positive ways without necessarily making them violent.
Another misconception that must be cleared about this concept is that it is something fundamentally different from racism. The basis of nationalism could be influenced by religion, ethnicity, language, race among other factors. Nationalism in the Twentieth Century could be perceived as the ideological movement for the attainment and maintenance of autonomy, cohesion and individuality for a social group, some of whose members conceive it to be an actual or potential nation. Nielsen (1998:253-95) contends that the term nationalism has a variety of meanings and encompasses the two phenomena noted as:
i) The attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their identity as members of that nation, and
ii) ii) The actions that members of a nation take in seeking to achieve (or sustain) some form of political sovereignty. For our present purpose, let us align with the definition of nationalism in the context of the colonial politics in Nigeria as a policy designed to achieve national self-determination by the removal of alien rule. Although the goal of the early nationalist was initially not for self- determination, it was rather to demand for increased participation in the governmental process on a regional level. It also included a fight against inconsistencies inherent in the British colonial policies which ignited regional animosities by attempting to preserve the indigenous cultures of each area and introduced western political and social concepts all at the same time. This corroborates the opinion of Olawale (1980:45) that nationalism is an act of political awareness or consciousness of the colonized people with the desire to achieving equal status, equal rights and equal opportunities with their white counterparts.
The history of the emergence of early nationalism in Nigeria could be traced to
The history of the emergence of early nationalism in Nigeria could be traced to the southern part of the country, spearheaded by those whose thinking was shaped by European ideas, they were also antagonistic to the policy of indirect rule which had entrenched what was considered to be an anachronistic ruling class (traditional chiefs) in power rather than the westernized elites. There were so many sources of the ideological and socio-political inspirations as-well-as economic factors responsible for the southern nationalists. Among the motivators were the prominent American-based activists such as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B Du Bois and Nigerian students who joined those from other colonies in pan-African groups, such as the West African Student Union (WASU) founded in London in 1925(See Price 1967:24) . They were later to become so critical of colonial rule that they started championing the cause for self-government, constitutional and social reforms and eventually, independence. One of the social reforms demanded was the religious racism practiced by the European missionaries and public servants.
what role did the whites play in nationalism
The whites openly discriminated against Africans from attaining certain status in their churches which led to the emergence of independent African Christian churches at the end of the Nineteenth Century. Also in the civil service, education and business sectors, Africans suffered discriminations from their European counterparts. All these gave impetus to nationalist struggle in Nigeria. In the economic sector, the import and export trades were dominated by European traders and a few commercial firms. According to Ekundayo (1973:216), by 1917 there were 77 European trading firms in Nigeria which included: the United African Company (UAC); Compagnie Francaise de l Afrique Occidentale (CFAO); Societé Commerciale de l Ouest Africaine (SCOA) and P eterson Zochonis (PZ), etc.
what were africans going through
These firms came together with other European firms to form a cartel called Association of West African Merchants (AWAM) which was used to control prices of both manufactured goods they sold and the cash crops bought from African farmers. African farmers had no control over the prices of farm implements and other imported goods they bought from the European firms and at the same time, they had no control over the prices of their farm produce like cocoa, cotton, cash crops and others. To worsen the situation was the monopoly enjoyed by the Lebanese, Syrians and Indians over retail trading because they could easily attract credit facilities from the European firms and loans from their banks. The banks were willing to accept deposits from Africans but when it came to borrowing, they ran into difficulties. The control of the economy was totally in the hands of expatriates, to the detriment of Africans who found it difficult to compete with the Europeans in the import and export business for lack of capital base. Further, the wage employment opportunity was another factor that aided the early nationalism in Nigeria. The civil service, judiciary and the organized private sectors were almost closed against Africans. The few Africans employed suffered discrimination as they were prevented from rising to positions of responsibility to exercise control over expatriates, no matter the level of their education. Africans cannot rise beyond the level of a clerk which explained why early educated Africans took to professions such as Law and Medicine where they can be self-employed.
Early Nationalist Groupings.
In the early 1920s, sequel to the Clifford s Constitution, there were several types of non-political associations consisting of professional and businessmen such as the Nigerian Union of Teachers, the Nigerian Law association, which was later to provide trained leadership for such political groups and the Nigerian Produce Traders Association which was led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Also, ethnic and kinship organizations that often took the form of a tribal union were formed in the same period. These organizations were visible mainly in the urban areas and also sprang up as a result of rural-urban drift in search of white-collar job by Africans who felt alienated by the anonymity of the urban environments and were drawn together by ties to their ethnic homelands. By the mid-1940s, the major ethnic groups had formed such associations as the Igbo Federal Union and the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a Yoruba cultural movement, formed in London by Obafemi Awolowo in 1948. Another type of organizations that was more politically inclined was the youth or student groups such as the West African Students Union (WASU), the Lagos Youth Movement which became the vehicle of intellectuals and professionals. They were the most politically conscious segment of the population and stood in the vanguard of the nationalist movement. In 1933 Dr. James Churchill Vaughan, Ernest Sisei Ikoli, Samuel Akinsanya (Odemo of Isara) were brought into the (LYM) by Eyo Ita and in 1937 the name was changed to Nigeria Youth Movement (NYM) with Barrister Hezekiah Oladipo Davies as the Secretary. Newspapers, some of which were published before World War I, provided coverage of nationalist views. The principal figure in the political activity that ensued was Herbert Macaulay, often referred to as the father of Nigerian nationalism. He aroused political awareness through his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News, while leading the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), which dominated elections in Lagos from its founding in 1922 until the ascendancy of the Nigeria Youth Movement (NYM) in 1938 which first used nationalist rhetoric to agitate for improvements in education. Similarly, Macaulay s political platform called for economic and educational development, Africanization of the civil service, and self-government for Lagos. Significantly, however, Macaulay s NNDP remained almost entirely a Lagos party, popular only in the area with experience in elective politics. In addition, the rapid growth of organized labour in the 1940s also brought new political forces into play in form of labour movements. But the proliferation of labour organizations, however, fragmented the movement, and potential leaders lacked the experience and skill to draw workers together.
The First Political Movement
According to Ojiako (1981:13), on August 26, 1944 the pioneer of militant nationalism in West Africa was born named the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) with the major objective to exert heavy pressure for accelerated political development in Nigeria. The following officers were elected at its inaugural meeting held at the Glover Memorial Hall:
i) President Herbert Macaulay
ii) Vice President J. O. Lucas
iii) General Secretary Nnamdi Azikiwe
iv) Financial Secretary A. W. Howells
v) Treasurer L. P. Ojukwu
vi) Auditor were Messrs: L. A. Onojobi & A. Ogedegbe
vii) Legal Advisers were Messrs: E. J. Alex Taylor, J.E.O. David, E.A. Akerele, A.Alakija, Ladipo Odunsi and J. I. C. Taylor.
