Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has blamed Nigeria’s nation-building problems on the inadequate foundation laid by the colonial masters.
He stated this on Saturday at the University of Ibadan at the unveiling of the N250 million Dr Abdullahi Ganduje Lecture Theatre and Award.
The governor claimed that the colonial masters’ defective foundation was constructed solely to serve their own interests and not for the country’s real development.
According to Ganduje, colonial rule separated Nigeria into North and South without much regard for the differences between the two regions.
He claimed the separation was made without regard for differences in property tenure, local government administration, education, and judicial systems.
The challenges of nation-building, Ganduje said, should be a source of concern for everyone, and that there was a need to reflect on the trip thus far in order to construct and leave a better legacy for the future.
“As a result of this historical heritage, regionalism has posed a significant barrier to Nigeria’s nation-building.” It was simple for prejudice and fear to flourish under these circumstances.
“Building a common sense of purpose, shared destiny, and collective imagination of belonging is what nation-building is all about” he said.
