Former Senator Shehu Sani has called on Nigerians from other ethnic groups living in the South East to actively challenge the perception that the region is hostile to non-Igbos. He addressed the widespread belief that Igbos are not welcoming to outsiders and tend to push people from other tribes away from their land.
Responding to this narrative, Sani advised Hausas, Yorubas, and others residing in the South East to regularly share their experiences and presence on social media. According to him, such online engagement would help counter false assumptions and reflect the true nature of interethnic relations in the region.
He wrote on his Facebook page, “Hausas, Yorubas and other ethnic groups living in the South East should be visible in the cyberspace and be posting regularly on social media so that they can counter the narrative that that part of our country is inhospitable to other Nigerians.”
Sani further emphasized that silence from these communities is not only unhelpful but also damaging to their host regions. “Their silence is not helpful to their host communities and only fuels the misinformation and disinformation,” he added.
The former senator noted that many Nigerians rely on hearsay or isolated incidents when forming opinions about the South East. He believes that the lived experiences of those who coexist peacefully in the region are powerful tools to promote national understanding and unity.
By encouraging more visibility and honest storytelling from non-Igbos living in the region, Sani aims to dismantle harmful stereotypes and foster mutual respect among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.
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