Ethnic Identity and Foreign Policy Preferences: A Survey Study of Youth in Kano State

This study investigates the relationship between ethnic and religious identity and foreign policy preferences among youth populations in Kano State, situated in Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone. Nigeria's foreign policy is formally state-centric, yet public opinion shaped by ethnic, religious, and regional identities exerts informal pressure on diplomatic decision-making, particularly on issues relating to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Middle Eastern conflicts, and relations with neighbouring Sahelian states. Drawing on constructivist theory and social identity theory, this research surveys university students and young professionals in Kano metropolitan area to examine how identity variables shape attitudes towards selected foreign policy issues. The study employs a quantitative survey methodology, administering structured questionnaires to a sample of 200 respondents drawn from Bayero University Kano and the Federal Polytechnic Kano. Data are analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to identify significant predictors of foreign policy preference. It is anticipated that findings will demonstrate that religious identity in particular exerts a strong influence on attitudes towards Middle Eastern diplomacy and Nigeria's OIC membership, while pan-African sentiment is relatively weak among the surveyed demographic. The research contributes to the limited literature on foreign policy attitudes at the subnational level in Nigeria. Keywords: ethnic identity, foreign policy, Kano, youth, public opinion.