You’re Not Like us! Ethnic Discrimination and National Belonging in Nigeria
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Taylor and Francis
Abstract
This study tests the rejection-identification and rejection-disidentification theories in a non-Western context using Afrobarometer survey data (n = 3,200) from Nigeria, one of Africa’s most ethnically diverse countries. Regression analysis shows that discrimination reduces the likelihood of Nigerians prioritizing their national over their ethnic identity. In other words, discrimination weakens national identification while strengthening ethnic identification. This pattern reflects the exclusionary effect of discrimination, which makes individuals feel like outsiders in their own country. In response, they may turn more strongly to their ethnic identity as a source of belonging, solidarity, and psychological resilience. The association is particularly strong among the Igbo, a group excluded from central political power in Nigeria since the end of the Biafran War in 1970. These findings suggest that the relationship between discrimination and identity formation depends on one’s position within the broader ethnic and political landscape.
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International