The problem of national integration is very though and very essential for the growth and development of Nigerian,

but it has not really be giving appropriate attention. Oftentimes some Nigerian leaders claim to has show the working for the unity of the country, while what they do or pronounces are elicit the opposite, it is suppriing that after four decades of political independence, Nigerian has not even find its path of becoming a united state and has infact remained a mere geographical expresson. ( awolowo 1947) every Nigerian still seen himself as amember of an ethnic group before seeing himself as Nigerian. Most political issues in Nigerian are still seen from there ethnic perapertive, tthis is there by giving relevance to ethnic jingoism and war lords. Political offices and appointments are seen as battle fields among the various ethnic groups, where the battles must be fought with all the available weaponry that a group can muster. The attempt made by the by the 1979 constitution drafting committee (cdc), to solve this problem by introducting a constitution method sharing political offices, this was in order to reduce political frictions and tention, thereby removing fear of domination and maginalization through the instrumentality of the federal character has not recorded much success. The study incidentally intend to look at the concept of federal character, ethnicity and nation building in Nigerian, the study is divided into two parts. First part is devoted to an explanation of the main concept; federal character, ethnicity and nation building. The second part treat the issue of federal character, and its impact on ethnicity and nation building. The third part will proffer solutions on how best to manage ethnicity and achive nation building without the instrumentality of federal CHARACTER AS DEFINED By the Nigerian constitution Concept definition Federal character according tto the 1979 constitition drafting committee (CDC) refers to The dintictive desire of the people of Nigerian to promote national unity, foster national unity and give every citizen of nogerian a sense of belonging to the nation, notwithstanding the diversities of ethnic origin, culture, language or religion which may exist and which it is their desire to nourish, harness to the enrichement of the4 federal republic of Nigerian (CDC report 1976) Federal character is a distributive principle which is aim at preventing the domination of government, and its resources by people from only one group or a ffew grow at guaranteeing to every group, access topower and resources ( ekeh and asaghae 1989). It I is a quota system oor ethnic arithmetic formular elsewhere (onyeorziri 1989). Ethinicity has bein a big problem to nation building in nigerian since the days of colonialism, thus this delayed our independence due to the fear that that the southern dominated more educated elites than the northerners. That was while enahoros motions for self governance. Right from this period, etnical struggles and clashes have been rapant in the country. However the most prominent negative effect of ethnicity was the thirty mounths of Nigeria biafara civil war, while the recent ethnic motivated attempt to dismember the country was the 1990 orkar military coup and the present situation of the book haram sector. What used to be restricted to then northern part of the country b before, now

features in virtually all pat of the country this coupled with the minority agitations have made ethnicity to ocupyy the centre- stage in political discussions in Nigeria. Ethnicity is a social phenomenon associated with interacting among members of differences of differenct ethnic groyp loyalty . according to Nnoli (1978) ethnicity exists only within a political society consisted of diverse ethnic groups, it is character5ised by a common consciousnesss of being one in relation to the other relavant ethnic groups, it has exclusiveness as an attribution and finally conflict is equally its very important aspect. Federal character The term federal, owes its origin to the 1979 constitution drafting committee (CDC). The term was later embodied in the section 14(3) of the 1979 constitution. This section stated the premise of the principles as ; The comositon of the federal government or any of its agencies and the conduct of such government or council, and the conduct of any of the affairs of the government or such angencies shall beb carried out in such a manner as to recognize the diversity of the peoples within its area of authority and neeed to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty all yhe peoples of the federation. This which contain under the fundamental principles of state policy has been a very contentious issue in the government and polities of Nigerian