Opinion


Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. Generally, an overarching national government is responsible for broader governance of larger territorial areas, while the smaller subdivisions, states, and cities govern the issues of local concern.

Presently federalism is not working in Nigeria, and its high time we call a spade a spade and stop hiding behind a finger of federalism that has become a perpetual failure from one regime to another. The reason its not farfetched because as Nigeria is concern we are more divided than we are together as a nation and this has been a clog in the wheel of our progress as a nation.

One of the core value of federalism is unity in diversity, that is, there is need for federation so that we can be be united despite the differences in our belief, customs, culture, ethnicity and religion and to also remove the fear of dominance by the majority group. This is a total flop because we are far from being united, and this is a national plague that has eaten deep into our root system. Segregation of religion and ethnicity cut across every states in Nigeria because in Nigeria we have different ethnic group that are in constant battle of ethnicity supremacy.



The battle of ethnicity supremacy in a multicultural nation like Nigeria we always drag us in the mud because each indigene will pledge alliance to his/her ethnic group before favouring the nation. Ethnic brouhaha is manifesting in evey part of the country, be it the North, the South East and The south west. In the North the Kanuri always distance themselves from the Hausa and the Fulani, or is it the Kaje, Kajoro, Angas or the Gwari that want to associate with Hausa or Fulani. Neither Southeast nor Southwest is exempted from this epidemic of battling internal ethnic war of supremacy. In southeast that is where you will see segregation of some states that are not Igbo and one that are the real and indigenous Igbo, same goes to the southwest where they battle for the state that represent the real Yoruba. If all this can be going on at the local and state level, imagine what will be going on in the national level. Casmir Igbokwe said and I quote “We have been lying to ourselves that we are one indivisible nation. Can a Fulani man claim the same brotherhood with the Birom. Can an Ijaw man call an Itsekiri man his brother”? This question is begging for an answer.



The pioneer Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, said, “As for me, I would have preferred the north leave the other parts of the country but stayed only because of the importance of the southern coastline in international trade and the fact that it might be difficult to control the rail system as I would have liked to”. Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, first indigenous Governor- General, said, “I support the views of Justice Salmon Portland Chase, that most nations grow out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interest and geo-political relations. Of these factors only geo-political relations apply to Nigeria”
“Chief Obafemi Awolowo, wrote in 1947, “Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria from those who do not.”

With the above statement from our fathers, I think the solution to our common problem is not in exploring the mars neither it is a rocket science but to jettison federalism and embrace Regional system of government. Because presently we have lost the balance between ethnic and national consciousness. As the Nigerian fortune has progressively waned most Nigerians have recoiled back to focusing mainly on the interests of their ancestral origins while neglecting the overall interests of Nigeria as a whole. This is the same idea that encourages official corruption with each government official seizing the opportunity of his/her appointment to use his/her office for personal and family benefits first and foremost and next the interests of those who share his/her ethnic origins. The all encompassing Nigerian national interests are thus relegated to the backwaters. Nigerians need a moral reawakening. Our current value system is a perverted one. we have at least one or two generations of Nigerians who probably believe that graft is a necessary way of life. Nigerians all of us regardless of where we live, at home or abroad need moral rebranding.

A former colonial Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir Hugh Clifford after the amalgamation of the north and south in 1914, has this to say, “Nigeria is a mere collection of self-contained and mutually independent native states, separated from one another by great distances, by differences of history and traditions and by ethnological, racial, tribal, political, social and religious barriers”.

Am I calling for total disintegration of Nigeria? That will be capital NO, but our solution lies in restructuring and go back to the regional system of government. This current system of governance in practice only makes the politicians lazy. Most of the states are in financial trouble because of the failure of past and successive governments to prepare for the worst.

Regional system of government has worked for us in the past and it can definitely be the master blueprint in which Nigeria as a nation will thrive. There will be rapid growth and development in every region, because there will be competition and a healthy competition brings out the best in an individual. The but in regional system of government is that it will promote ethnic loyalty, and that’s is also great factors in the nation development, when you are loyal to your ethnic group, you will definitely want it to stand out among others, and thereby leading to astronomical growth and development.

What else does anyone need to understand the direction Nigeria is going which is described by Tony Nnadi in a recent article ‘Is it possible to restructure Nigeria? Tony drew the attention to “…various groups are already taking unilateral steps to extricate themselves from the ‘mistake of 1914’ and to retrieve their portion of the geo-space (geographical expression) called Nigeria. In this category we find OPC arming itself outside the law, Lagos State creating 57 LGAs outside the constitution, MASSOB flying the Biafran flags — in rejection of the constitution (Nigeria). Today, 12 states in the north are operating sharia law outside the constitution, MEND is engaging the armed forces of Nigeria in a war — questioning their relationship with Nigeria in respect of the resources found in their region and which the constitution has vested in the centre by fiat. They are all saying the same thing – we have not agreed.”

In conclusion, let’s embrace regional system of government, let every region controls its resources and see how far Nigeria will move forward.
We can’t be repeating a process over and over again and be expecting a different result.

Source. https://www.getinspiredhub.com/nigeria-federalism-a-total-hoax/