By Emmanuel Gandu
GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS
• Excerpts
• What constitute the Middle Belt Region
• Chief of Kagoro Mallam Gwamna Awan in the formation of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF)
• Leadership of the Middle Belt struggle : 1949 – 2025
• Justification for the creation of the Middle Belt Region
• Why Hausa Fulani hostile to the Middle Belt Region
• Political consciousness of the Midle Belt and politics of Nigeria 1946 – 1966
• Why the Middle belt Region was not created.
• Why it is difficult to create a Middle Belt Region in contemporary Nigeria
• The collapse of the first republic
• Despite the preponderance of top Military Generals from the Middle Belt Region in governance of Nigeria in successive administrations, is there any accrued benefits to the region ?
• Middle Belt Region in the politics of the 2nd and 3rd republic : Southern Kaduna as a case study.
• Muhammadu Buhari’s policies of blood and tears in the Middle Belt Region : 2015 – 2023.
• Concluding remarks.
WHY THE MIDDLE BELT REGION WAS NOT CREATED
The struggle for the creation of the Middle Belt Region died a lamentable political death because of some of the following reasons :
(1) The power and Influence of the British colonial administration in colaboration with the Hausa Fulani oligarchy was opposed to any balkanization of the Northern Region.
(2) The Hausa Fulani North was not in favour of allowing the people of the Middle Belt to be autonomous.
(3) They wanted to have a North that will be bigger in population and land mass than the Western and Eastern regions put together, for the purposes of domination.
(4) There was no cohesion in the struggle among the various tribes of the Middle Belt.
(5) The strength of the UMBC was unfortunately weakened by internal wrangling and factions in the house. While the Plateau group led by Pastor David Lot and Patrick Dokotry were on their own, the Southern Zaria group chose to align with the Northern People’s Congress. The other faction of the UMBC was reduced to a tribal party for Tiv. Even among this Tiv faction, sub factions arose. One under the leadership of Joseph Tarkar and the other under the leadership of Godwin Daboh.
WHY IS IT STILL DIFFICULT TO CREATE THE MIDDLE BELT REGION IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA ?
Even though the Middle Belt people had resolved they were no longer going to be tools to be used by the so called North to advance their Hausa/Fulani agenda, the dream of an autonomous Middle Belt region had continued to remain an endless dream.
These are some of the reasons :
(1) Many prominent past Nigerian leaders are from the Middle Belt yet they failed to create nor support the creation of a Middle Belt region. Why ?
These leaders include Generals Yakubu Gowon, T.Y Danjuma, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Domkat Bali, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Atiku Abubakar. Other top most military generals from the Middle Belt include Joseph N. Garba, Zamani Lekwot, Y.Y Kure, Joshua Dogonyaro, Atom Kpera, General Sheleng, General Musa Bamaiyi, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, Col. Dangiwa Umar, Col. Yohanna Madaki, Col. Nyan, Col. Tanko Ayuba, General David Ashe, Major General David Mark, and General Martin Luther Agwai, just to mention a few.
(2) Regional or state creation is a constitutional matter that requires the amendment of the constitution, which in itself is not a tea party. Besides, there is the mandatery participation of the two legislative arms of the national assembly made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Another constititional requirement is achievement of the mandatery three thirds acceptance from the 36 state houses of Assembly.
(3) The diverse tribes and languages of people of the Middle Belt Region makes unanimity difficult and a herculian task. The diverse and different tribes of the Middle Belt Region where every tribal person is primarily loyal to his tribe before thinking of the Middle Belt is not only a major bottle neck but a divisive factor contributing to the failure towards achieving any meaningful and purposeful achievement in realising the creation of a Middle Belt region.
It is also worthy to note that these 400 languages spoken in the Middle Belt have only Hausa language as a common medium of Communication. Research have shown that some of these languages may go into extinction before the next three decades, thereby living Hausa language as the only medium of communication. You can imagine the implications – your guess is as good as mine.
(4) The Middle Belt Movement had assumed a Christian outlook thereby alienating the Muslim Hausa and Fulani many of who incidentally are indigenes of Middle Belt. I imagine how one would expect those of them to support, join, and identifying with the Middle Belt struggle.
As at today (2025), I’m yet to see any Muslim, Hausa, or Fulani indigenous Middle Belter occupy the position of President of the Middle Belt Forum. (I stand to be corrected)
(5) The hangover belief/mentality left behind by the British Colonial Master that they had bequeathed to the Hausa North a political structure that legitimises their supremacy and authority over the whole North for the purposes of total control of the entire Nigeria is still haunting the people.
CREATION OF THE MID WESTERN REGION
Both the Middle Belt Region and the Mid Western Region were struggling at the same time for their creation.
Meanwhile, the Mid Western Region was carved out of, and formed from the Benin and Delta provinces of the Western Region in 1963.
This region was the only constitutionally created region in the country and lasted until 1966 when it was renamed a province, and became the Mid – Western State in 1967, then Bendel in 1976, untill 1991 when it was divided into Edo State and Delta State.
The Middle Belt Region was there left alone in the political cold.
THE COLLAPSE OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC
According to Turaki (2007), and Eliagwu (2004) the collapse of the first republic on January 15, 1966 was attributed to but not limited to the following :
1. The multi ethnic and religious composition of the population.
2. The uneven level of social development.
3. Poor economic development.
4. Low educational development.
5. The constitutional structure of the country under colonial rule.
6. The lopsided composition of the fist republic.
7. The absence of truely National political parties.
Peace 🙏
Watch out next for the no.5 in the series – the last, on Easter Saturday.
It will contain the following :
• Despite the preponderance of top Military Generals from the Middle Belt Region in governace by successive administrations, is there any accrued benefits to the Middle Belt ?
• Middle Belt Region in the politics of the 2nd and 3rd republics : Southern Kaduna as a case study.
• Muhammadu Buhari’s policies of blood and tears in the Middle Belt Region : 2015 – 2023.
No. 4 in the series of the Middle Belt Region.
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