THE ROLES OF OHANAEZE NDIGBO AND AREWA CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA, 1976-2019THE ROLES OF OHANAEZE NDIGBO AND AREWA CONSULTATIVE FORUM ON NATION BUILDING IN NIGERIA, 1976-2019
Keywords:
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), nation-building, ethnic politics, federalism, Nigeria, inter-regional relations, socio-cultural organisations, national unity, post-civil war politics.Abstract
This study examines the roles of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Nigeria’s nation building process from 1976 to 2019. Emerging in the post-Nigerian Civil War era, Ohanaeze Ndigbo evolved from the Igbo Forum around 1976–1979, while the ACF was formally established in 2000. As leading ethno regional socio-cultural organisations, both have served as critical platforms for articulating and defending the collective interests of the Igbo (South-East) and Northern regions within Nigeria’s multi-ethnic federal system.The research adopts a qualitative historical approach, drawing on primary and secondary sources. These include organisational documents, policy papers, media reports, official records, and relevant scholarly literature. Fieldwork involving key informant interviews with leaders and stakeholders from both organisations, as well as content and thematic analysis, was employed to evaluate their activities.The study analyses how these bodies have influenced national politics through policy advocacy, inter-ethnic dialogue, elite consensus-building, and crisis management across periods of military rule, democratic transitions, resource allocation disputes, restructuring debates, and national unity efforts. While both organisations have often promoted equitable power-sharing, regional development, and peaceful coexistence, their actions have simultaneously reflected and sometimes exacerbated the tensions of ethno-regional politics. The findings highlight significant successes in fostering regional solidarity and shaping national policy, alongside limitations arising from zero-sum ethnic competition. The study concludes that Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the ACF remain influential actors whose constructive engagement is essential for sustainable national cohesion, equitable development, and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
