If 1.4bn Chinese citizens and 1.3bn Indians can forge a common identity there is absolutely no excuse for 200m Nigerians not to bury their ethnic differences and fuse as one people 

Ayo Akinfe 

To achieve this goal we need a Nigerian Anti-Tribal Programme. It should look something like this:

(1) As from October 1 2021, your state of birth is your state of origin 

(2) As from October 1 2021, anyone who has lived in a state for three years and paid taxes there automatically becomes an indigene 

(3) Pidgin English will from henceforth be adopted as our national lingua franca. It will be taught as a university course academics will start work on a Pidgin English dictionary 

(4) Ethnic discrimination courts will be set up in each of our 774 local government areas to hear cases of victimisation and nepotism. Penalties shall range from heavy fines to six month imprisonment

(5) All references to religion are to be removed from application forms immediately 

(6) It will now be illegal to hold religious prayers at public functions as they marginalise those of other faiths 

(7) There shall be no state funding of religious activities like building faith houses, going on pilgrimages or conferring of titles on religious leaders 

(8) Every state governor must set aside at least 20% the appointments into his cabinet for people who originate from outside his geo-political zone

(9) Couples who marry from other ethnic groups will get access to immediate federal government housing with a 20% mortgage discount 

(10) Super Eagles jerseys shall be sold at no more then N100 each with the cost subsidised by the federal government. The idea is to make every Nigerian proud of the shirt and wear it like a badge of honour