“Government and culture are two diametrically opposed forces - the one blinds and oppresses, the other …show more content…
As we embraced many aspects of European culture, Nigeria chooses to completely oppose these aspects and turn against other countries with this influence. According to the US State Department website, Nigeria has turned away from any relations with the US for quite some time. Not until 1999, when Nigeria implemented a president and a very similar constitution to the US, did the two countries begin a healthy relationship with one another. This more western approach of having a president increased the relationship between the US and Nigeria, but the internal cultures are still very different. Igbo culture, which is very common in southern Nigeria, has just recently started living with electricity and houses without mud walls. Their society changed because it was discovered that there was oil within their country (Kalu Ogbaa). Compared to the United States, the first major breakthrough of electricity occurred in 1831 and, with this, formed a multitude of other industrial revolution breakthroughs throughout the country (Michael …show more content…
In the past, Nigeria has had a problem with creating nationalism among their citizens. According to Hassan Adeeb in Nigeria, more than 250 different ethnic tribal groups (mostly Igbo, Hausa, or Yoruba) are living in Nigeria today. These tribes go to war with one another and make peace with each other, within the same national boundaries. There are different governments within each tribe and they all worship different gods. But, after gaining independence from the British Empire, the United States banded together as one unit. There was sometimes civil turmoil, but more often than not, the major battles were fought America versus a different country. This form of fighting increased nationalism dramatically throughout America (Michael Lind). Even though Nigerian nationalism hasn’t shown in the past, it is starting to become more prevalent throughout their society today. America’s nationalism came after they gained their independence, but Nigeria is starting to fight together as one, just like America did. Nigeria has already gained independence from Britain, but their government has just started to grow and become more prosperous, causing the Nigerian people to gain a national identity, in addition to their already established tribal one (US Library of