The way things are going in Nigeria has led to secession agitations. Therefore, we want to look into the effects of these secession agitations. The effects include:

1. Instability in the Nation
2. Civil War
3. Secession is Costly
4. International Community Recognition
5. Development Retardation
6. Internal Division
7. Economic Loss
8. Problems of Relocation
9. Loss of Investments
10. Loss of StrengthInformation Guide Nigeria

Read Also: History of Separatist Agitations in Nigeria since 1914 to Date

10 Effects of Secession Agitation in Nigeria

1. Instability in the Nation

When people begin to agitate for secession, the nation begins to shake. Instability sets in, things begin to go haphazardly. Everything begins to move zigzag.

The central government is unstable. The states are unstable. The private sector also becomes unstable. Thus, the whole nation becomes unstable.Effects of Secession Agitation

2. Civil War

Most secession agitations result in civil war. A good example is the Biafra Secession of 1967. Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, being a military officer, thought that secession is an easy thing. Declare your own country out of the country and there you have it. Nevertheless, he did it and the result was a bloody war that sent him into exile. He ran away leaving his people behind. Millions lost their lives. The Igbos that he was trying to redeem lost almost everything. This is only an example of what secession agitations have caused all over the world.

If secession agitations continue in Nigeria, another war might result. This time, it might be more devastating than the former. In the former, only the Igbos were involved. This time, the Yoruba will join it. Nigeria will become fragmented. It will tear into pieces. Not only millions will be lost this time, but billions will also be lost.

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3. Secession is Costly

What secession agitators do not realise is the costliness of secession. At face value, it looks very palatable. However, when looked at very deeply, one can see that secession is very costly.

The new country will have to start from scratch. It will build new offices. It will start its own commerce. It will build the economy from almost nothing.Top 10 Tribes With The Most Beautiful Girls In Nigeria

Building a new country involves so much. The new country will struggle with other established countries. It will seek for recognition. All these make secession a costly venture.

4. International Community Recognition

The world is divided into continents and countries. All the existing countries make up the international community. Each country belongs to one group or the other. For instance, Nigeria is a member of the African Union. If anything happens to Nigeria, all the countries in the union will show up for its rescue.

If a new country emerges, the international community will scrutinize it before they will accept it. There are international laws that govern the community. A country that breaks away from another country will not be granted immediate recognition.History of Separatist Agitations in Nigeria since 1914 to Date

Should any country break away from Nigeria, Nigeria will close its borders to such a country. The country will find it difficult to involve itself in any international trade. It will suffer alone.

5. Development Retardation

Secession agitation retards the nation’s development. The federal government sees the agitators as those who cause insecurity in the country. The money that would have been used to develop the country would be channelled towards fighting against them.

In addition, secession agitators jeopardise the peace of the nation. They throw the whole country into confusion. Thus, the country cannot move forward.Npower recruitment

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6. Internal Division

Secession agitators divide the country into different groups. Some groups support the agitators while other groups do not. Thus, the country is fragmented

To those seeking secession, internal division can also destroy them. They may not realize it at first. They may think that everyone is with them. However, it is not so.dollar to naira rate

One thing that made Biafra to fail at the time of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was internal division. Some parts of the Igbos did not support him. Those who did not support him betrayed him. Therefore, he failed.

The present map of Biafra includes some South-South states. Now that the agitation is on, Mazi Nnamdi Kalu may think that he can win with them all. Later, he will be surprised to discover that not all of them support him.

Already, Ralph Uwazuruike does not support all that Nnamdi Kalu does. He sees Nnamdi Kalu as rude. He sees him as someone who has no respect for his elders. These actions will deepen later.

Should the South-South agree to go with the South-East today, tomorrow, they will like to also become their own country. Thus, they will seek separation from the South-East. There will then be further division.

7. Economic Loss

One serious effect of secession agitations in Nigeria is economic loss. The agitations have cost Nigeria billions of naira. So much has been lost in the South-East where things were kept at standstill for some time.

As the agitations continue, Nigeria continues to lose more revenue. This is so because government offices do not open for business, as they would have done under normal circumstances.WAEC result

Maintaining law and order cost money. The money that would have been used for something more meaningful is used to make sure there is peace in the streets of Nigeria. This is a mere loss of money.

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8. Problems of Relocation

Should secessions succeed, there would be problems of relocation. The Igbos are all over Nigeria. So are the Yorubas. For these people to relocate to their country, they need huge capital.

Besides, they will face accommodation problems. They cannot carry their houses with them. They would have to build new houses.JAMB form

Education problems will also set in for the schoolchildren. New schools will have to be built where the levels of education do not already exist. Where the levels of education already exist, the student-teacher ratio will increase.

Where there are no teachers, new ones will have to be employed in the new countries.

The same thing will be applicable in other areas. Those who are leaving the old country have to be employed in their new country. The old country will have to employ new workers to replace those who have left.

The child that says the mother should not sleep will not also sleep. Both of them will keep awake. So will it be if the secession succeeds. The old country will suffer. The new country will also suffer. Many things will go wrong. It shall not be easy for anyone.

Take Nigeria for example; at about 61 years old, it is still struggling to maintain its balance. How many years will the new country take to maintain its balance? Only the secession agitators can answer this question.

9. Loss of Investment

The constitution of Nigeria allows all Nigerians to live wherever they like. They are also allowed to own properties where they live. Thus, many Nigerians have investments all over the country. Should the secession succeed, all these investments will be lost.

It has happened before. After the civil war in 1970, though the then head of state said there was “No victor, no vanquished”, the Igbos were given only twenty pounds irrespective of what they had in the bank before the war. This happened because of peaceful reconciliation. Should it be by force, everything will be lost.

Read Aslo: Unemployment Rate in Nigeria and its Economic Consequences

10. Loss of Strength

The Igbo adage that many means strength (Igwe bu ike) cannot be overlooked here. The more we are, the stronger we are. The population of Nigeria is respected and feared all over the world. Should another country be created from it, its population will be reduced. So will its strength.JAMB Result

Conclusion

Secession agitators should look very well before they leap. Another civil war will cost all so much loss in humanity and money. Nigeria belongs to all of us. Let us remain in it and salvage it together.

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