Abstract
The end of the Cold War and the hostile East-West relations in the late 20th century resulted in the emergence of new challenges to statehood in many parts of the world. In Nigeria, such challenges have been exacerbated by political and leadership ineptitude and an equally pauperized and docile followership. This study adopted the historical descriptive research methodology of content analysis because, by its very nature, it was not amenable to the quantitative research method. The findings showed that there are vital issues to be addressed if Nigeria is to embark on a sustainable path to national rebirth and development in the 21st century. Though not exhaustive, some of these issues have been isolated and analyzed. The conclusion reached is that political leadership, ethnicity, religious bigotry, regional dichotomy, defalcation, and the absence of identification with the Nigeria state by both the leaders and ordinary citizens constitute a huge obstacle to nation-building and national development.
Keywords: Citizens, Corruption, Democracy, Justice, Nation-Building, National Question