THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
ISSN: 0331-4111 e-ISSN: 2736-075X
Volume 24, No. 2, November 2026
Pages 56-76
DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/6202.42.0240
Redefining “Nigerian-Ness” As A Foundation for Police-Public Trust and National Development
Mohammed Yelwa Muson and Manchin Leah Jelmak
Department of Sociology, University of Abuja, Nigeria
Abstract
The persistent tension between the Nigerian police and the public reflects deeper fractures in the nation’s collective identity. Nigeria has functioned as an artificial construct lacking a unifying cultural ethos, resulting in institutions, particularly law enforcement, still being perceived as alien and oppressive rather than protective. This paper argues that sustainable police-public relations cannot be achieved without first addressing Nigeria’s crisis of national identity. Through a qualitative analysis of pop culture mediums (movies and music) and comparative case studies (China’s patriotic nationalism and Rwanda’s post-genocide cultural reconstruction), the study identifies Nigeria’s contested cultural narratives and explores how a deliberate cultural renaissance could redefine “Nigerian-ness” in ways that foster institutional trust. Findings suggest that in Nigeria’s complex cultural landscape while ethnic fragmentation and historical distrust hinder cohesion, shared postcolonial struggles, vibrant creative industries, and indigenous communal values provide a foundation for reimagining identity. The paper proposes, state-sponsored civic nationalism campaigns, community policing models rooted in traditional justice systems to reshape public perceptions of law enforcement, Police reform must be embedded in a broader sociocultural agenda that prioritizes a unifying identity as the cornerstone of sustainable development and institutional legitimacy in Nigeria.
Keywords: Cultural renaissance, institutional trust, national identity, police, public, and social cohesion