ETHNICITY AND MARGINALIZATION: A THREAT TO SOUTH EAST DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
Abstract
This study investigated on ethnicity and marginalization: a threat to South-East development in Nigeria. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was used. Sixty (60) respondents were sampled from each state in the South-East making a total of three hundred (300) respondents. Politicians made up the population, simple random sampling was used in selecting the sample, with a 15-items structured questionnaire developed by the researcher was used to collect the data. Data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that struggle for political power, allocation of political positions, high rate of insecurity and high rate of poverty. However, ethnicity and marginalization is a threat to south-east development. The study made some valuable recommendations such as creation of more state to balance each geo-political zone, free and compulsory education at all levels for Nigerian citizens and no ethnic group or religion should be seen as supreme over other groups. The study concluded that unequal number of states, uneven infrastructural development and equal opportunities will automatically reduce insecurity in each geo-political zone of Nigeria.
Key Words: Ethnicity, Marginalization, Development and Geo-political.
Ukeje, Arinze .I.
Social Studies Department
School of Art/Social Sciences, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze
ukejearinze@gmail.com
Ikwunemelu, Ethel C.
Political Science Department
School Of Art/Social Sciences, Federal College Of Education (Technical) Umunze
Igwe, Felix. O.
Political Science Department
School Of Art/Social Sciences, Federal College Of Education (Technical), Umunze
Okafor, Anthonia N.
Social Studies Department
School of Art/Social Sciences, Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze