Arewa: Unity beyond slogans, by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi, FNSE
With rising insecurity, economic hardship, misgovernance, and the constant tug-of-war for political advantage, it’s time to look inward and find solutions. Unity is not blind conformity or a phrase we repeat for convenience—it’s a living practice. It works only when built on justice, fairness, and mutual respect. True unity grows step by step: within families, across communities, at the national level, and eventually beyond borders. Challenges are inevitable; what matters is how we handle them.
Nigeria is a richly diverse country, with over 200 million people. The 1914 amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates brought together communities with very different histories. It poses a constant question: what truly binds us, and where should we start?
Northern Nigeria offers lessons in cohesion. Even though Western education came later than in the South, the North was far from empty. The Kanem–Borno Empire, Kwararafa Kingdom, Hausa city-states, and Sokoto Caliphate had long-established systems of governance, justice, and education. When Western schooling arrived, it didn’t meet a vacuum—it joined an organised society ready to grow without losing its identity.
Leaders like Sir Ahmadu Bello navigated this transition carefully. Indirect rule worked because local institutions were adapted, not destroyed. Stability was preserved, human capital nurtured, and progress—though gradual—was anchored in unity. Patience, discipline, and collaboration were the tools of real development.
As an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I saw this unity in action. Far from home, Northern students instinctively came together. Ethnic and religious differences didn’t disappear, but they were set aside for a shared identity, born of origin, vulnerability, and purpose. Cooperation was natural, solidarity practical, and unity needed no slogans. Arewa felt like a family, not a group of rivals.
Life itself teaches the same lesson: division weakens us. Hunger, insecurity, failing schools, and empty hospitals don’t care about religion or ethnicity—they affect everyone. Poverty doesn’t negotiate labels. Political reality is clear: interests, not feelings, drive outcomes. While ordinary people quarrel over betrayals, elites quietly unite across lines to share power and protection.
History reinforces the point. The Sardauna of Sokoto built alliances and institutions, not sectarian loyalty. Even military regimes, imperfect as they were, worked across ethnic and religious lines to maintain stability. Leadership is about shifting focus—from identity to interest, from blame to building.
READ ALSO: Sule Lamido, coalition, and 2027, by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi, FNSE
Unity beyond slogans takes effort. It demands compromise, give-and-take, and mutual understanding. Arewa must practise unity at home if it is to remain relevant nationally. Only then can the region continue to play a leading role in Nigeria’s future. Everyone has a part to play—there are no spectators.
Written by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi, FNSE.
Email: bgabdullahi@gmail.com
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
