By Richard F.

Divide is part of human nature. We divide ourselves based on hair texture, gender, skin color, religion—but one that surprised me the most as I was growing up was dividing by tribe.

I am Nigerian, born and raised to embrace our rich and diverse culture. I thought different tribes, languages, and traditions were what made us strong. But the older I became, the more I realized how deeply tribalism had shattered the very pillars of our nation.

Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, yet the most densely populated—Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo—dominate national politics and overshadow our shared identity. The roots of this division lie in colonization, when external forces arbitrarily drew borders across Africa, grouping together vastly different peoples into one country. Nigeria was not born as a nation; it was created as a colony. And the scars of that project remain.

Still, while I acknowledge the role colonization played, I also believe the current generation must take responsibility. Tribalism exists today because we keep perpetuating it—not because colonizers are still here.

I’ve seen it within Nigerian churches here in America, where adults tell children to “only marry Yoruba,” or discourage friendships along tribal lines. These are not harmless preferences; they are seeds of division, disguised as tradition.

Some Yoruba people even pride themselves on having “never been slaves,” using this as proof they are superior to other tribes. But no history is entirely pure. Such myths only breed resentment.

We’re taught to treat each other as “other,” even though we share the same national anthem, the same flag, the same future.

My Nigerian-ness cannot—and should not—be defined only by my tribe.

It is time to break the cycle. We, the youth, must consciously reject the stereotypes passed down to us. We can honor our traditions without using them as weapons.

We may have inherited tribalism, but it does not have to be our legacy.