Federalism in nigeria problems and prospect political. I have also gone ahead to place the basic tenets of k. He explores the evolution of nigerian federalism through its various constitutional experiments and administrative redesigns, including those in. In spite of this confusion, we can still conceptualize federalism. Nigeria must take bold new steps with forging a nation upon the foundation of trust. Federalism and contending issues in contemporary nigeria. Conceptual issues fiscal federalism is a byproduct of federalism. Concept and meaning of federalism 2 the sun nigeria.
For instance, federalism is a form of governmental and institutional structure designed to cope with the dual but equally difficult task of maintaining unity while preserving its diversity. The situation attracts growing interest and concern. Federalism and groupbased inequalities in nigeria global centre. In a federation, the component units are expected to exercise some degree of. Department of public administration, federal polytechnic idah, kogi state, nigeria email. Federalism and ethnic conflict in nigeria united states. Spread the loveby eruke mume looking at nigeria closely, it is no secret that the main reason why nigeria remains in its current state of development lies principally on the type of superficial federalism we practice. The evolution of nigerian federalism nigeria is, one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world with well over 250 ethniclinguistic groups, some of which are bigger than many independent states of contemporary africa. As observed by chief obafemi awolowo, nigeria is not a nation. Federalism in nigeria refers to the devolution of selfgovernance by the west african nation of nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the federal government.
Therefore, the problem with federalism in nigeria is the mixapplication or nonapplication of this clause especially as it has to do with power distribution awa. This is illustrated by the extent to which there are differences of opinion on whether south africa is an example of a federal state or not, as well as differences of opinion and conviction on whether it. This instructive study helps explain why it lacks a stable political framework for economic and social development. Nigeria to which the term federalism has properly been applied. Pdf on dec 3, 2015, terry andrews odisu and others published federalism in. Suffice it to say that in theory, nigeria can be said to be operating the federal system of government, whereas in actual practice, the country is tending towards a unitary system. The paper also looks into some efforts at resolving issues in the nigerian federalism such as the federal character principle and power sharing mechanism. Prognosis for the organisation of the executive arm of government in nigerias fourth republic bolade m. Having firmly and solemnly resolve, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under god, dedicated to the promotion of interafrican solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding.
Federalism and groupbased inequalities in nigeria structure as a resource to transcend group differences by specifying that the composition and conduct of government entities must promote national unity, and avoid the predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other groups. Federalism and groupbased inequalities in nigeria march 2017 nigeria is one of africas most diverse and deeply divided states. And if that trust must come, nigeria must renegotiate itself. Nigerias unitary federalism the guardian nigeria news. Federalism, the constitution and resource control by itse sagay in the beginning, there was no nigeria.
States creation and the political economy of nigerian federalism rotimi t. Eme and others published federalism and nation building in nig eria find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The term federalism is derived from the latin word fidere meaning to trust or to entrust some agreed values to a central entity of a given country 5. Nigeria federal structure since inception has witnessed several fiscal and structural reformation as new realities emerge and this is not without major deficits but like in all political organization, there is no perfect policy. Federalism and political restructuring in nigeria in. Get free research paper on fiscal federalism and nigerian federalism our project topics and materials are suitable for students in nigeria with case studies in pdf, doc. True federalism should not be seen as something beyond our reach as it is a virtue that is lurking around.
Nigeria also has probably the most elaborate system of government in the region. In 1954, the nigerian founding fathers opted for a federal system of government despite its inherent challenges in a pluralistic society. It was also adopted to protect the interest of the minority. Travails of federalism in nigeria nigeria is a cliffhanger federation, anchored on precarious grudging multiethnic accommodation, thriving on unabated certainty and tense expectation. Thus, one also may find a definition according to which federalism in its broadest sense marks a multilayer or pluralistic concept of social and political life. The evolution, development and practice of federalism in.
The founding fathers of the country opted for federalism because of their belief that federal states have the intrinsic structural and institutional capacity to accommodate diversity. While, the remaining part of the niger for example, idah was merged with. Therefore, the problem with federalism in nigeria is the mixapplication or nonapplication of this clause especially as it has to do with power distribution awa, 1977. Federalism can be seen as a system of government in which governmental powers that exist in a country are shared between central government and other component units i. Nigerias federal experience began in 1954 under the tutelage of the british colonial authorities. Dureleys conceptualization of federalism as a division of powers between a central government and several regions of state. There were ijaws, igbos, urhobos, itsekiris, yorubas. Quest for true federalism in nigeria by oziegbe okoeki it is a truism that a functioning democracy requires a continuous process of discussion between all government institutions and the civil society. In this compelling new work, suberu examines the profound political contradictions that make up nigeria, a nation whose leaders have constantly tinkered with a colonial federal legacy that sought to balance the countrys three major ethnic groups. Bequeathed a contentious federal system by the united kingdom at independence in 1960, successive nigerian governments relentlessly centralized all revenue.
To start with, nigerias federalism fundamentally violated b. Federalism and political restructuring in nigeria amuwo, kunle on. Nigeria is a country of many mutually distrustful nations, as is evident from the clashes it has experienced since 1999. The visionary development of federalism specifically from 1954 to 1965 abruptly ended with the mutiny of january 15, 1966, which not only eliminated some of the founding fathers of federalism in nigeria, but also killed the essence of federalism itself through a coup d. Given the territorially delineated cleavages abounding in nigeria and the historical legacy of divisions among ethnic groups, regions, and sections, the federal imperative was so fundamental that even military governmentscharacteristically unitarian, hierarchical, and centralistattached importance to the continuation of a federal system of government. Research paper federalism, democracy and the national. Federalism and ethnic conflict in nigeria foreign affairs. The dilemma of the nigeria state lies in a pretentious and faulty federal system. Federalism in nigeria problems and prospect case study of national integration chapter one introduction federalism, according to k.
In nigeria, there are different and distinct ethnic groups brought together by colonization. Local government autonomy as an imperative for true. The vocabulary of federalism in the country has led to the conflation of federalism as the ideology of unity in diversity, or diversity in unity, with federalism, as a governance process. Nigerias constitutions up to the time of independence in 1960 were truly federal in character. I think nigeria falls into the latter category or group. There are no nigerians in the same sense as there are english, welsh or french. Governor bernard bourdillion the history of federalism in nigeria can be traced to the division of the country into three provinces northern province, western province and eastern province by governor bernard bourdillion in 1939. Currently there are only three established federal political systems among the 54 states in africa. The federal high court fhc also acts as a relevant authority in merger control. To start with, nigeria s federalism fundamentally violated b. However, the history of federal system in nigeria could be dated back to the. Finally, we shall make some recommendations on how the system can work effectively in nigeria.
Nigeria is one of africas most diverse and deeply divided states. Conceptual explanation it has been discussed and agreed at many fora that the discussion of contemporary federalism seems to have started with kenneth c. Federalism in south africa is a contested concept and reality. The colonial decision to merge northern and southern nigeria created a single political entity from two regions with limited common history and few cultural ties. Abstract the centrality of federalism and citizenship in the discourse and analysis of african government and politics cannot be overemphasized. The abandonment of true federalism in nigeria has led to the neglect and marginalization of the niger delta region of nigeria, where the bulk of the countrys wealth is produced through the exploration and exploitation of crude oil which is the colossus of nigerias economic base. Before we start discussing federalism in nigeria, it is pertinent to know what federalism really is. The evolution, development and practice of federalism in nigeria. Project muse federalism and ethnic conflict in nigeria. Issues and choices in readings in federalism akinyerni, a. The problem with federalism in nigeria is complex but the most striking is the over centralisation of the countrys federal system, which has resulted from a flawed domestic political economy that entrenches overdependency on oil. The origins of nigerian federalism federal governance. This is because federalism is presented as a panacea in organizing distinct political identities under a state.
Merger control 2020 laws and regulations nigeria iclg. Governor bernard bourdillion 1935 1943 recommended the replacement of the provinces by regions which arthur richards constitution later implemented in. Federalism is a political concept in which power to govern is shared between national, and subnational governments creating what is often called a federation arowolo. This negotiation will be reached among the constituent ethnic nations. He said that the characteristics of this federal principle are the division of powers among levels of.
These fears and suspicions had led to the emergence of aggressive political and economic competitions along ethnoregional lines. The 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria mandates government by democratic legislatures, and an executive accountable to the people. Section 251 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria gives this court the power to handle matters with respect to companies operation, management and regulation. Abstract the problem of federalism and the associated crises of national integration in nigeria raise serious alarm. Nigerians embraced federalism as a way of managing the conflicts and suspicions among the various constituent nationalities that make up the nigerian state. Other causes of nigerias development take their branches from it. Suberu 2 001 argues that at the heart of nigeria predicament is the. In fact, fiscal federalism is a general normative framework for assignment of functions to the different levels of government and appropriate fiscal instruments for carrying out these functions oates, 1999.
Federalism in africa does not have a positive image. However, the evident paucity of successful contemporary federal systems must not be. This research work xrayed federalism in nigeria as the only basis upon which nigeria can remain united despite its diversity and peculiar conditions in which the different tribal groups live in and proffers solutions to the challenges of the practice of. Each region had its own constitution, coat of arms and autonomy with regard to the functions. The importance, how to, effect causes relationship, comparison, history, role, solutions are discussed.
Several views abound as regard the emergence of nigerias. Yet the country teeters perilously close to massive civil upheaval. Less than four years after the reestablishment of a democratically elected civilian government fourth republic in nigeria in may 1999, the countrys federal political order once again appears to be in distress. Unity in diversity and nigerias federalism the guardian. Nigeria is tropical africas most important country, with an estimated 110 million people and major oil resources. Review of public administration and management vol. The works addresses this phenomenon by investigating.
C wheare, is the method of dividing powers so that the central and regional governments are each, within a sphere, co ordinate and independent. Ekpo and enamidem ubokudom eds, issues in fiscal federalism and revenue allocation in nigeria, ibadan. Federalism is adopted in nigeria because of her multi ethnicity. This gave rise to the thinking that federalism is a process of formation of a particular kind of political union, with at least two autonomous but interdependent levels of governments 6, that form of government where.
C wheare federalism to nigeria situation vis a vis the definition and features of federalism and i argued that, the federal system proved to be workable in nigeria between 1954 and january 1966 but the advent of the military makes the federal government to sees itself as superior to the. The executive under the nigerian constitutions, 19601995 j. The crises are very severing such that they culminate in a strong force being mounted on the federation with tendency to disintegrate the country. Beginning from 1954, the unitary colonial state saw itself being gradually federalized as it had to contend.