Functional Ethnicity, Regionalism and Regional Integration of South West Nigeria: A Study of ODUaA Investment Company Limited (OICL)

Abstract

With the abolition of regionalism in 1967 ethnicity became more intensified in Nigeria as the country became more polarized While regionalism promoted nation building in spite of its abuse as a result of ethnicity which culminated in the civil war 1967-1970 the latter is mostly an agent of disintegration However ethnicity does not necessarily constitute threat to the socio-political and economic development of a state rather it is its negative employment Hence the positive aspects of ethnicity often become insignificant in multi-ethnic states like Nigeria This paper suggests that ethnicity and regionalism can provide solution to some of the socio-economic problems confronting the country It thus demonstrates through the study of Odu a Investment Company Limited OICL a regional economic bloc in south west Nigeria that regional integration has the potentials of revamping the economy of the country It also argues that regional cohesion is a tool for national integration While the paper argues that Odu a Investment Company Limited OICL as an economic bloc has failed to achieve its raison d tre courtesy of regional atomization it contends that since the beginning of the Fourth Republic it has been a unifying factor in south western Nigeria