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  Whether Twitter has been really banned in Nigeria or not, it is now commonplace to see some Nigerians banter that their country is United African Republic (UAR). Facebook, Instagram and other social media apps have seen mentions of UAR being the new name of beloved Nigeria since the idea got suggested.
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Meanwhile, the banter for the name change seems to be catching on just as the alias Naija playfully caught with many Nigerians. But did a hoard of Nigerians really demand that Nigeria be renamed UAR? Findings by Cable News revealed that the earliest mention of the name UAR came up at the South West regional hearing for the proposed constitutional review Senate committee hearing which sat in Lagos. It was a tax consultant in Lagos state, Adeleye Jokotoye, who made the suggestion at the hearing on Wednesday, 27th May. In his submission, Jokotoye claimed that the name – Nigeria – was only given to the country by Flora Shaw, wife of Lord Lugard, and not a coinage by Nigerians for Nigeria itself. The man argued that the proposed name change for the country is for reasons of unity and to foster peace among citizens.
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In his words:
“… I want to recommend a name change from Nigeria to the United Africans Republic (UAR),
“…at this crossroads in our history, it is mandatory that we change our name to reflect a new beginning which will be ushered in with a new constitution.”
The suggested name changed may also not be unconnected with secessionist rhetoric which is rife in some sections of the country. While some have mentioned that Nigeria better split into the old regional patterns or into Northern and Southern Nigeria; others have only suggested that secession or name would achieve nothing significant for a lot of the people. This set of people have instead advocated for True Federalism and Devolution of Powers from the central government being run in Abuja. Jokotoye also digressed by proposing changes to the structural platform of some government agencies in the country such as the offices of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Police Force, Military Service Chiefs and INEC. Bottom line: Even if it has been an idea running in the minds of many countrymen for Nigeria’s name to be changed to one more reflective of the political realities of our demographic setup, Nigerians were not the ones who suggested that Nigeria’s name be changed to UAR – an individual did. Featured Image Source: Zikoko
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This article was first published on 11th June 2021 and updated on July 22nd, 2021 at 6:37 pm

adedoyin

Macaddy is mostly a farmer in the day who also dabbles into technology at night, in search of other cutting edge intersections. He's on Twitter @i_fix_you

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