Modern history demonstrates that societies anchored in the rule of law, where everyone is subject to equal and predictable rules, are the ones that achieve the highest levels of stability, prosperity, and public trust. By contrast, systems that give preference to group identity over individual rights often drift into division, inefficiency, and disillusionment.

Nigeria provides a revealing case study. After independence, the country sought to address deep ethnic diversity and tensions by introducing the “Federal Character Principle” in the 1979 Constitution, which remains a cornerstone of public policy today.

This policy mandated that public sector jobs, university admissions, and even military promotions should reflect the demographic breakdown of Nigeria’s many regions and ethnic groups. The intention was to foster national unity and inclusion.

Zero-sum

Yet over time, this group-based system has encouraged Nigerians to see government opportunities as a zero-sum competition between groups rather than a contest of skill or service. Public service and education have too often prioritised group representation over ability. Capable and ambitious Nigerians from all backgrounds, discouraged by a ceiling set by group quotas, have sometimes left the country or disengaged from public life.

The effect on efficiency and morale is not hard to see: as compliance and quota-checking take precedence, there is less incentive to strive for excellence. Corruption and patronage can also thrive, since appointments may be determined by connections and identity, rather than competence or contribution.

The same pattern has played out elsewhere. In Zimbabwe, the turn away from neutral legal protection in land ownership, in favour of redistribution along racial lines, triggered economic collapse and a breakdown of social trust. In South Africa and Kenya, policies rooted in group representivity havecontributed to skills flight and weakened confidence in public institutions.

The individual

The Western tradition of the rule of law, by comparison, centres the individual. Equal rules and fair competition empower people from all walks of life to reach their potential, creating greater trust and cooperation in society. Countries that maintain this principle have shown the best outcomes for growth, innovation, and social harmony.

If a nation wishes to unlock the full promise of its people, the rule of law remains the surest foundation. When group-based policies overshadow equal rights, history shows that even the best intentions can end up dividing societies and holding them back.