Ethnic minority identities and their associated politics of disadvantage have been a central feature of post-colonial Nigerian politics. Tensions which became manifest in the 1950s have combined with new developments such as the militarization and personalization of state institutions and politics, demographic changes and the economics of structural adjustment to create a volatile situation which has affected the transformation of ethnic minority identities and the trajectory of minority politics. Three case studies are considered which show transformations in minority identities and how these transformations are themselves part of a wider realignment of politics in ways which have profound consequences for the national and international politics of the Nigerian state. In this way, the salience of identity issues in the current African crises is highlighted.