Sports, Emotional Security, Integration and Peace: A Cue from the Non-Participation of Nigerian National Football Teams at Mundials

The importance of sports is yet again emphasized as a factor in national peace and security as emotions rise at the non-qualification of the national football teams’ for international competitions. The qualitative research done by observation and oral interview in three cities of Nigeria, - Ibadan, Ijebu-ode and Lagos among football viewers in pay-per-view centers (PPC), examined emotion towards the sport (football), as the citizens’ valued object and its relations with peace and national integration. It was revealed that due to the government’s failure to prompt development and social stability, emotional insecurity, distrust, discontent and loss of confidence on national government was generated. The study identified four types of emotional expressions in the viewers of PPC - the most vocal, tagged the "hyperplosive", the "vocal-plosive", the quiet, docile, and the most-quiet - the docile-plosive. These expressions stressed the possibility of emotion against the government and its leadership. The pain of the national team’s absence served as the citizens’ emotion elicitor and a reminder of discontentment over the Government’s failure in other spheres of national development. The grudge conceived against the government was observed to be hidden in a silent conflict. The sport was however recommended as a veritable mean for "emotion building" and peace building, which at the end leads to national integration and peace.