Abstract

Nigeria came into being in 1914 following the British colonial authority's amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates during which various ethnicities were living independently of each other. However, the activities leading up to the 1914 amalgamation predates this date. It would therefore not be out of place to say that the most enduring legacy of British colonialism is the geo-political entity known as Nigeria. Notwithstanding, from 1914-1960 when the British colonial authorities administered the colonial state of Nigeria the principle of democratization was not really employed in the affairs of the state. This negligence did not augur well for the goal of state building during the period thereby leaving the problem of integration unresolved by the departing colonial administration. Unfortunately, this trend has not been addressed since Nigeria gained her independence in 1960; hence, a monumental problem for the goal of Nation-Building in Nigeria. Consequently, this has seriously stifled nation-building efforts in Nigeria. It is the desire of this paper to examine this negative trend since 1914 and suggest the way forward. This paper adopts the historical descriptive design, employs the orthodox historical descriptive narrative and analytical method. Primary and secondary sources have been used. The primary sources include archival materials, government documents and reports. The secondary sources were books and journal articles. The thematic and chronological tools have also been used.

Key words: Democratization, nation-building, appraisal.