National vs. Ethnic Identity in Post-Colonial Sub-Saharan Africa: Comparative Study of Nigeria and Cote D'ivoire

In as much as Sub-Saharan African countries are not largely considered to be typical nation-states like European countries, there is some amount of contrasting features in the level of nationalism express by citizens. The main aim of this study is to find out the amount of variation in levels of nationalism in Sub-Saharan Africa as explained by the existing theories of national and ethnic identity by comparing two countries namely Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire. The research uses a correlational quantitative research design to conceivably measure the relationship between theories of nationalism and how it impacts levels of national identity. The study introduced the modernization theory to address the question of whether classic modernization theories actually explain the variation in the levels of nationalism in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results of the research concluded by supporting classic modernization theories that level of education, urbanization and being formally employed are all positively correlated to identifying with the nation. Other factors including the access to basic amenities, being part of core ethnic group and colonial legacy also affected levels of identifying within the state. Finally, the paper compares Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire to dig out the differences and similarities and conclude by drawing lessons from the research.