Dynamics of friendship interactions among students of diverse ethnic groups in Nigerian universities

Abstract

The university environment the world over is a place where scientific knowledge is sought.
Aside from this, it is also a geographical space where a high level of social interaction is
contracted between/among students of the same or across ethnic nationalities. In Nigeria,
despite ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious, and economic diversity, students in Nigerian
universities still engaged in social interaction. In light of the above, the study explored the
dynamics that influenced friendship interaction between/among students of diverse ethnic
nationalities. The study used a qualitative approach. Based on the qualitative method
employed, the interpretive paradigm was adopted as a lens to understand narratives from
participants. Twelve participants from six universities located at six geopolitical zones of
Nigeria were purposively selected. A structured interview was designed to elicit
information from the participants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings
indicated that students of various ethnic nationalities harmoniously co-exist in all the
universities in Nigeria. Furthermore, it was also established that students who did the
same course regardless of their ethnic background interacted effectively. Additionally, it
was realised that students with behavioural compatibility positively interacted.

Keywords: Dynamics, friendship interaction, university, ethnic groups, diverse