Let’s Use Our diversity To Build A United Nigeria – Ayodeji  Adulrauf 

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ZAINAB TANIMU
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Let’s Use Our diversity To Build A United Nigeria – Ayodeji  Adulrauf
Zainab Tanimu
Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria
The CEO/Founder, THINKSTARTUP BEYOND BORDERS INC Mr. Ayodeji  Abdulrauf has described Nigeria as a land of unity and diversity.
He urged Nigerians not to allow their diversities to divide but to unite them.
This call was made at a paper presentation held in Lagos.
In his paper titled, ” Unity in Diversity,”
delivered at the occasion of the African British Fellowship Award held by African British Institute UK at LCCI Ikeja Lagos,
the CEO said the fact that Nigeria is made up of different languages, cultures, religions should be seen as a blessing.
He defined the term  ‘diversity’, to mean, the collective differences which mark off one group of people from another while Unity in Diversity means, “the state of togetherness or oneness in-spite of presence of immense diversities based on individual or social differences in physical attributes, skin colour, castes, creed, cultural and religious practices, others”.
Classifying the various forms of Diversity we have In Nigeria, like the cultural, which is a reflection of the way of life of the people; the linguistic, which concerns different languages of the people, there is also the racial diversity which has to do with a set of distinctive physical feature of the people such as skin colour, nose type etc.
Nigeria, according to him is a vast country with geographical unity in diversity.
Such varieties he noted is in abundance in Nigeria and across the globe.
Irrespective of this diversity, Nigerians he advised should guide against all forms of divisive tendencies so as to remain a united force.
“Nigeria is known for its socio-cultural diversity.
We have variety of races, religions, languages, castes, and cultures .
These differences in us are looked upon as varieties that enrich the society and the nation as a whole.”

Abdulrauf bringing into bear the fact that no one individual or tribe can survive on its own called for the need to integrate and remain a united entity.
“There should be that sense of one-ness.  Nigeria has 36 states including FCT and 6 geographical Zones.
According to Ethnologue, Nigeria has 525 languages and three out of these languages are considered dominant with English Language as official language.
Some of the known major languages are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulfuide, Ijaw, Edo, Ibiobio, Karai-karai, Kupa, Kanuri, Tiv, Idoma, Igala, Nupe, and others.”
Just as Nigeria is diversed in languages, so is it diversed in religion. It is a land of re-union of many religions while Christianity and Islam remain the dominant of all.
These diversity not withstanding, the burning question he said should be, “how can we take advantage of our diversity for unity of Nigeria project”?
Explaining further,
“I have a dream that one day will not be judged by my tribe or language , but by the content of my character and competency in Nigeria “ A case of your body system.
Stressing,
“No part of the body has the right to say, I have no  need of you ………… The body is a unit, though it is made of many parts that form one body. The body is not made up of one but many. The human creator makes a big deal out of diversity.
The CEO in his lamentation called for a collective responsibility to enhance unity of purpose of all Nigerians.
“What Nigeria tribal stakeholders have been doing to sabotage the creator’s purpose of unity in diversity are Passive withdrawal Imagine.
“If the foot should say, because I  am not a hand , I do not belong to the body , It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, because, I am not eye , I do not belong to the body, It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body .
“The eye can not say to the hand , I do not need you , and the head can not say to the feet ,I do not need you , What does exclusion look like in today Nigeria ? ,  It is reflected in attitudes that we  communicate , that is , diversity is optional.
“Insecurity is not really helping situation as at now except we can start remaking a new Nigeria
“Our tribal stakeholders withdraw when they feel  they are never really allowed to be fully contributing members of the team or nation building . This comes in two forms , Ignored/Marginalized and Denial of one experience Active Exclusion.
Stressing further,
“The way the creator designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a nation. Every part dependent on every other …..If one part  hurts, every other part is involved in the healing , If one part flourishes , every other part enter into exuberance .
He therefore called on everyone to be pro active and that such should be reflected in our actions as government and governance for we need each other to build a united Nigeria.
At the end of the presentation, the  CEO/Founder, THINKSTARTUP BEYOND BORDERS INC Mr. Ayodeji  Abdulrauf Waidi was conferred with the African British Fellowship Awards (ABFA) for his undeniable contribution to Humanity And African British Institute.
Alhaji Ayodeji  Abdulrauf is the VP 1, Nastrul Lahil-L-Fatih Society, (NASFAT) Worldwide.
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