The foundation of regionalism in the Nigeria’s First Republic, by Oluwadare Ayeni
When Nigeria attained independence in 1960, the air was filled with hope, pride, and the promise of unity. Yet, beneath the celebration of freedom lay a tension that quietly shaped the country’s early years, the fear of domination. This fear did not belong to one region alone, it was shared, in different forms, across the federation. While today many believe that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the only nationalist who advanced regionalism in the First Republic, history shows that the Northern political elite were equally strong advocates of regional autonomy, motivated by their own fear of southern domination.
The roots of this position stretched back to the constitutional conferences of the 1950s, especially the 1950 Ibadan Conference, the 1953 London Constitutional Conference, and the 1954 Lagos Conference, where the structure of Nigeria’s future federation was debated. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leader of the Action Group (AG) and Premier of the Western Region from 1954, had consistently argued that Nigeria was “not a nation but a mere geographical expression,” and that only a true federal system, with clearly defined powers for each region, could preserve peace and unity. To him, regional autonomy was not disunity but a safeguard against internal domination.
However, Awolowo was not alone in this conviction. The Northern People’s Congress (NPC), led by Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, also stood firmly for regional independence, though for different reasons. The North’s advocacy of regionalism was born out of fear that the more educated and economically advanced South would dominate national politics once power was centralized. At the 1953 Constitutional Conference, northern delegates, alarmed by the motion for “self-government in 1956” moved by Chief Anthony Enahoro, an Action Group member, walked out of the conference in protest. This incident deepened regional distrust and made northern leaders more determined to preserve their autonomy.
When the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution eventually came into effect, it granted greater powers to the regions, formalizing the federal system. Both the North and the West welcomed this development, though for slightly different purposes. For Awolowo, it meant protecting the Western Region’s progress in education and social policy from federal interference. For Ahmadu Bello and his colleagues, it meant securing the North’s political dominance within its borders and shielding its traditional institutions and Islamic culture from southern influence.
By the time Nigeria achieved independence in 1960, this mutual emphasis on regionalism had become a defining feature of the political landscape. The North, under the leadership of Ahmadu Bello and Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, preferred a weak central government that allowed regions to govern themselves. The West, under Awolowo, sought regional autonomy as a way to pursue its ambitious modernization program. Even the East, under Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), though initially inclined toward centralization, eventually came to see the advantages of strong regional governments when faced with northern political dominance at the center.
In effect, all three major regions became champions of regionalism, though for different reasons. The North’s regionalism was defensive, rooted in the fear of cultural and political domination by the South. The West’s regionalism was progressive, meant to protect its economic and educational gains. The East’s regionalism was strategic, driven by the desire for balance and self-determination within the federation.
This political structure, though it reflected Nigeria’s diversity, also deepened division. Each region functioned almost as a separate country, with its own government, civil service, and economic agenda. Cooperation at the federal level became secondary to regional interest. By 1962, tensions between the federal and regional governments, especially the conflict within the Action Group in the West, further weakened national unity. By 1966, the accumulated mistrust among regions and political elites culminated in a series of crises and military coups that ended the First Republic.
Looking back, it becomes clear that the fear of domination was a national, not regional, condition. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was not the only nationalist who advanced regionalism, he was simply the most vocal and intellectually articulate about it. The northern leaders, especially Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, were equally committed to preserving the independence of their region within the federation. Both sides, though approaching it from different angles, shared a common suspicion of centralized power.
In hindsight, the First Republic was built on the delicate balance between unity and autonomy, a balance that was never fully achieved. The regionalism of Awolowo and Bello, while designed to prevent domination, ended up reinforcing division. Their competing fears and visions became the fragile foundation upon which the Nigerian state still struggles to stand. Today, as debates over restructuring and federalism resurface, the echoes of that early fear remain, a reminder that the question of how to live together, without one region dominating another, has yet to be fully answered.
Oluwadare Ayeni
Obafemi Awolowo University
