Ethno-nationalist movements and political mobilisation in Africa: The Nigeria experience (1990-2003)

Contemporary social movements in Africa are shrugging off state patronage in order to reconstruct the substance and direction of local‐level development. They are also addressing issues of emancipation, empowerment and social transformation. The mobilisation of marginalised groups for political struggles, resistance to dominant groups within the state, and the importance attributed to participatory models of their activities have demonstrated that African social movements are increasingly becoming political. Against this background analysis, four ethno‐regional organisations in Nigeria are examined in the study. These organizations are the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP); Egbe Afenifere (Society of the lovers of good things); Ohanaeze‐Ndigbo (Igbo Citizens Assembly) and, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). The study attempts to answer the following questions: how strong are ethno‐nationalist movements in influencing the direction of political struggles? Are ethno‐ nationalist movements enhancing popular participation through engaging the state, or simply extricating their constituents from state hegemony? Which social classes are mobilised in the course of political struggle and the strategies used in mobilisation? The study was conducted at first hand in Nigeria employing a qualitative approach involving desk reviews, interviews, engagement with local debates and the use of archival materials.