Media as a Tool for the Promotion of the Nigerian Identity and Unity

Abstract

There has been scepticism or near total lack of faith expressed over time by pundits as to the workability of the entity, Nigeria, given the way it was formed. This is because of the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-political reality the union has had to contend with. Added to this is a perceived mischievous machination by the departing colonial authorities to maintain an imbalance in the system for certain undisclosed reasons. Interestingly, the media by its prime placing has been relied upon very heavily to help achieve the much-needed unity and stability; a role they have played quite well but have also been affected by the biases of the individual practitioners. This paper, recalls some national events of significance including the various military coups, and general elections, especially the famous June 12 election that was annulled and what role the media played in the aftermath. The agenda-setting theory was cited to explain the turn of events. Lastly, the paper suggests as a recipe that the country should embark on serious dialogue aimed at achieving true federalism, just as the media rises above the biases of its owners, profit consideration and ethnoreligious leanings of the individual reporters.