Identity overlap and situational differential among Nigerian students

This study examines the notion that Nigerian Students will identify with their ethnic group and their nation at the same time because they are members of different ethnic groups and citizens of the same country. It also examines whether their perception of their identity will change from situation to situation. Data were collected from 306 Nigerian Students in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area through a proportional stratified sampling procedure. The results confirm the hypothesis that the Nigerian students will identify with their ethnic groups and nation at the same time. It is also confirmed that how the Nigerian students will perceive themselves at different situations depends on the situation in which they find themselves. This negates the primordial approach which claims that an individual will identify him/herself in terms of his/her ethnic group because of a strong bond of ethnic attachment. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.