The Middle Belt question has returned to Nigerian politics with renewed force because identity in the region is no longer only about culture or geography. It is now tied to security, land, displacement, political representation and the long memory of minority struggles within the old Northern Region.
Benue and Nasarawa are officially part of Nigeria’s North Central geopolitical zone, together with Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory. This is the recognised administrative and political classification. Yet the term Middle Belt has remained powerful because many communities in central Nigeria see themselves as historically distinct from the dominant political traditions of the far North.
The Middle Belt is not an official geopolitical zone in Nigeria’s constitution. It is a historical, political and cultural description used for the central belt between northern and southern Nigeria. Its exact boundaries vary depending on the source. In many descriptions, it includes the North Central states and the Federal Capital Territory, and in broader usage may extend to parts of southern Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa.
This difference between official classification and lived identity is at the heart of the present argument.
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What “We Are Not Northerners” Means
The phrase “We are not Northerners” is not a constitutional category or a legal declaration. It is a political identity statement used by some Middle Belt advocates to emphasise distinction from a broader northern identity.
For many Tiv, Idoma, Eggon, Berom, Jukun, Mada, Alago and other communities, the Middle Belt represents a history of minority consciousness. It recalls earlier struggles within the former Northern Region, where smaller ethnic groups sought recognition and protection within a larger political structure.
The argument is therefore not simply about geography. It is about recognition, representation, protection and the ability of communities to define themselves within the Nigerian state.
The Weight of History
The Middle Belt identity developed over time from Nigeria’s colonial and early post independence political arrangements. The old Northern Region contained a wide range of ethnic groups with different languages, cultures and political traditions.
These groups did not always share a single political agenda, and they do not do so today. However, the memory of being grouped under a broader northern label has remained significant. The current identity debate reflects this long history of minority concerns.
The Middle Belt has often been described as a meeting ground between northern and southern Nigeria. At the same time, it is home to communities with their own distinct histories, traditional institutions and political expectations.
Benue, Insecurity and the Politics of Belonging
Benue has become a major symbol of the Middle Belt crisis because of repeated attacks, rural insecurity and large scale displacement. Amnesty International reported in July 2025 that more than 500,000 people were living in displacement camps in Benue by the end of 2024, with further displacement recorded in early 2025 after attacks in areas including Gwer West, Agatu, Ukum, Kwande, Logo and Guma.
The June 2025 attack on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area became a major national reference point. In February 2026, Nigerian prosecutors filed terrorism related charges against nine individuals over the incident, which authorities said resulted in about 150 deaths.
These events have deepened concerns among many communities about security, recognition and protection. For them, identity is closely connected to lived experience and safety.
Nasarawa and the Complexity of Identity
Nasarawa adds another dimension to the Middle Belt question. The state is ethnically and religiously diverse, and its proximity to Abuja gives it strategic importance.
While it shares the North Central classification with Benue, its internal dynamics are different. The identity debate in Nasarawa reflects a mix of political, cultural and social factors rather than a single unified position.
This diversity shows that the Middle Belt question is not uniform. It varies across communities and states, even within the same geopolitical zone.
Land, Grazing and State Policy
Land remains one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle Belt. In Benue, the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 became a key policy response to tensions between farming and pastoral communities. The law banned open grazing and promoted ranching as a way to regulate livestock movement.
The policy forms part of a broader national discussion about land use, rural security, economic livelihoods and the role of state governments in managing local resources.
A Complex Security Landscape
The situation in the Middle Belt cannot be reduced to a single cause. While farmer and herder tensions are often highlighted, the broader security landscape includes multiple factors.
These include land competition, weak law enforcement, armed criminal activity, population movement, environmental pressures and governance challenges. Religion also shapes how the crisis is understood in public discourse, but it operates alongside other influences rather than as a single defining factor.
The result is a layered crisis in which identity, land, security and politics are closely linked.
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The North Central Development Commission
In February 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the North Central Development Commission bill into law, creating a federal body focused on development in the region.
The commission represents an effort to address infrastructure gaps and regional challenges. However, questions of identity, land ownership, displacement and political recognition remain part of a broader conversation that extends beyond development policy.
Conclusion
The Middle Belt identity issue remains one of Nigeria’s most significant ongoing political questions. It sits at the intersection of history, geography and lived experience.
Benue and Nasarawa are part of North Central Nigeria, yet the persistence of Middle Belt identity shows that official classifications do not fully resolve questions of belonging. For many communities, identity is shaped not only by administrative boundaries but by history, experience and the need for recognition.
The phrase “We are not Northerners” reflects this reality. It is a political expression that speaks to identity, memory and the demand to be recognised within Nigeria’s evolving national story.
Author’s Note
The Middle Belt story is ultimately about recognition. It shows how communities can exist within a national structure while still feeling unseen inside it. When identity, security and history come together in this way, the demand is not only to belong, but to be acknowledged on one’s own terms. That is the deeper meaning behind the voices emerging from Benue, Nasarawa and the wider region today.
References
Reuters, “Nigeria charges nine with 2025 massacre that killed 150,” February 2026.
Amnesty International, “Violence and widespread displacement in Benue, Nigeria,” July 2025.
TheCable, “Tinubu signs North Central Development Commission bill into law,” February 2025.
European Union Agency for Asylum, “Country Guidance Nigeria, Middle Belt definition.”
Search for Common Ground, “Open Grazing Prohibition Law in Benue State,” December 2017.
