Nigeria can break up peacefully — journalist

There is nothing divine about the unity of Nigeria, Punch reporter Eniola Akinkuotu says.

His comment challenges a belief in the political mainstream that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable.

Akinkuotu pointed out instances where countries broke apart without violence.

“Nigeria can break peacefully, actually,” the journalist wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“The Soviet Union fell and Europe didn’t lose sleep. Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia; Singapore from Malaysia.

“Russia sold Alaska to America; Tangayika merged with Zanzibar to form Tanzania; Texas broke away from Mexico and became a state in America.

“Countries are artificial creations, not divine. We need to understand this and stop being emotional about Nigeria’s unity.

“107 years ago, the name Nigeria didn’t even exist but the world did not stop spinning.

“Nigeria’s unity is by all means negotiable,” he said.