尼日利亚的少数族群是国家建构的产物,他们在国家的序列中处于边缘的地位,遭受到结构性的歧视。这种状况成为尼日利亚少数族群持续反抗的动力,在其捍卫自身权利过程中释放出巨大的能量,并以破坏性的方式反作用于国家的建构。为防止凸显民族群体的界限,加大他们之间的裂痕,尼日利亚设计成为联邦体制的国家。并首先使用“地区”范畴,进而使用“州”的范畴,以地域空间替代业已存在的民族类别。由于替代的类别只能含糊其辞——只谈群体间的差异,而不明确指出有关的群体为何;再分别按照地理和人口情况以及发展水平等标准来区分。这样一来,替代类别就许可形形色色的人根据经济、人口或发展情况等要求受到照顾,而不顾及某个群体受到结构性的歧视与边缘化境地。尼日利亚国内民族数以百计,情况更为复杂,替代政策失之精确,难以满足人们关于群体间不平等以及再分配的想法。 Nigeria’s ethnic minorities are the product of national construction, which is marginalized in the country’s sequence and subjected to structural discrimination. This situation has become a driving force for sustained resistance in Nigeria’s ethnic minorities. It has released tremendous energy in defending its own rights and has reacted in a destructive manner to the construction of the country. In order to prevent highlighting the boundaries of ethnic groups and increasing the rifts between them, Nigeria is designed to become a state institution. First, use the category “” and then the category “state ” to replace the existing ethnic category with geographical space. As the alternative categories can only be vaguely stated - only the differences among the groups are concerned, but the relevant groups are not clearly indicated; and then they are distinguished according to the geography, demographics and level of development respectively. In this way, alternative categories allow for diversification of people of all kinds based on economic, demographic or development requirements, regardless of the structural discrimination and marginalization of a group. With hundreds of nationalities in Nigeria, the situation is more complex and the alternative policy is not accurate enough to satisfy people’s thinking about inequalities and redistribution among groups.