Articles
“Mimi ni Mtanzania ”: An Analysis of Post-Colonial Nation Building and the Emergence of National Identity in Contemporary Tanzania
Author:
Nneoma Enyi Nwankwo
Virginia TechNone
About Nneoma
My name is Nneoma Nwankwo. I'm a senior majoring in Political Science and double minoring in Public and Urban Affairs and Creative Writing. I'm an international student from Lagos, Nigeria.
Abstract
The United Republic of Tanzania, an East African nation of about 45 million people[1], has been overwhelmingly successful in establishing a strong and conscious national identity amongst its citizens. When asked whether they identify more with nation or ethnic group, 88% of Tanzanian respondents chose ‘nation.’ On the other hand, 50% respondents from Senegal, 31% of respondents from Uganda and a mere 17% of respondents from Nigeria chose ‘nation’ (Afrobarometer, 2009; Robinson, 2009). This paper explores the role of colonialism and post-colonial nation building in the establishment of nationalism in contemporary Tanzania. Overall, I argue that while colonization played a role in nationalism in Tanzania, strong national identity is majorly a result of deliberate post-colonial nation building. The paper maintains that the presence of Swahili as a native national language in Tanzania is both a positive by-product of colonization and a reward of persistent post-independence nation building. Post-colonial nationalist efforts such as the 1960s ‘Swahilization’; the 1970s socialist politics, policies and rhetoric; and the cessation of all forms of ethnic politics were all salient factors that critically and emphatically established the Tanzanian[2] national identity.
[1] 2012 Population and Housing Census. Tanzanian National Bureau of Statistics (Ministry of Finance). Exact figure provided: 44,928,923.
[2] For the purposes of this paper, I use “Tanzania” and the context of nationalism in reference majorly to the mainland (formerly Tanganyika). In the course of the paper, I explain the reason for so doing. However, Zanzibar is often referred to, and discussed.
How to Cite:
Nwankwo, N.E., 2016. “Mimi ni Mtanzania ”: An Analysis of Post-Colonial Nation Building and the Emergence of National Identity in Contemporary Tanzania. Philologia, 8, p.None. DOI: http://doi.org/10.21061/ph.v8i0.141
Published on
14 Apr 2016.
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