[katampe]

We need to radically change and legitimize new ways of viewing and acquiring ethnicity. I stated sometime that ethnicity should be fluid in the sense that people should be able to acquire or adopt the ethnicity of the places they are born and have stayed for considerable length of time.

If that happens, then the criteria for determining who is who would be based on the ability to speak the language of where they were born and reside, where they promote the culture of the ethnic-place, and where they show commitment to preserve, and historicize it. A Fulani man in my opinion should be able to acquire Berom, Tarok or Jukun citizenship if he shows willingness and commitment to meet the criteria proposed that should be further developed.

Until we radically tinker with the idea of building or evolving a nation from the chaos of the patchwork that the British left behind, we may never get over this idea of tribalism and indigenous sense of entitlements. After all, humans pass on, I mean die, but place and culture and ethnicity continue to thrive. The world has moved on and it is supposedly modern now.

In developed nations like America, we see children of Nigerians born overseas become African Americans or Americans, speak with an American accent,, and immerse themselves in the culture of their country of birth or where they have lived a long time. They also acquire entitlements where they purchase land, choose to live and carry on business or their career activities. Ideas in my opinion for nation building should be gleaned from this perspective. We can't afford to hold on to the archaic or traditional concept of ethnicity if we must survive or build a nation.

As revolutionary as this idea might seem for some, I think it should help solve some of the madness created by the British and other colonialists in Nigeria and other countries in Africa. It is better if we start seeing ethnicity as citizenship that can be acquired since there the thesis of ethnic nationalities is widely embraced, why not that of acquisition of citizenship?

The time has come for serious thinking and adopting forward looking solutions. Something that should finally lay to rest ethnic or tribal demon that has stunted growth and cooperation amongst Nigerians and Africans.As far as I am concerned, ethnicity is an accident of birth.