₦airaland Forum

lawani:
You have to take into consideration the wishes of the land owners. The Kanuri have Boko Haram the Fulani responded with Lakurawa. The Kanuri could not have agreed to be yoked with the NW if not for the British. You are not the military. Only the military can draw borders as they wish. Any voluntary reorganisation will see the Yoruba land bound together, Igbo land bound together and etc and if it is not voluntary it will create more problems than it solves.
The minimum is that people align as they wish. The best is breakup

Thank you.

You are right. I am not the military. But we need to speak up as citizens regarding proposals that could help us.

The proposal brings all the Yoruba and all the Igbo together as you stated. As for the Kanuri, their uniqueness will only be evident when the Far North is separated from the rest of the country.

However, even in a voluntary reorganisation, not every ethnic group will have a region to itself. Some ethnic groups will have only a state / province and some only a local government / district.

kayusely70:
I align with the proposals except the aspect of making Lagos a Federal territory and that the Senate should be scrapped, leaving us with a unicameral legislature.

Thank you.

Apparently, the Yoruba will not want to relinquish Lagos from my findings here. But my proposal is based on the perceived reluctance of Lagos to be merged with the rest of Yorubaland in a regional structure. And also the fact that Lagos should have a special status due to historical factors.

.

karfe:
5 AUTONOMOUS REGIONS:

1. Arewa / North
2. Middle Belt / Central
3. Yoruba / West
4. Niger Delta / South
5. Igbo / East

Racoon:
It is sad that the Africans betraying and dehumanizing fellow brothers in league with inhouse or the neo-colonialist enemies started a long time ago and has persisted till date.

No local chiefs connived with the colonial masters(slave trader cum imperialist) to sell off opposition to their inordinate quest for wealth, fame and position at all the infamous "Port of No Return" in Badagry and Calabar.

The Aba Women riot was one of sad reminder to this fact. So sad, shameful and disgraceful and embarrassing for the African continent

Visionary leadership can be like a taboo around here. I hope his killers are all still alive and thriving! 😡

KnowAll:
Adamawa was part of Cameroon hence why people are saying Atiku is a Cameroonian. They chose to join Nigeria unlike southern Cameroon.

Some parts of Adamawa (around Mubi and Ganye), Taraba and Borno were in Northern part of the British share of Cameroon. You specified Yola…

KnowAll:
Even the ones that join Nigeria Cities like Yola and Msiduguri are more developed than Maraua and Garoua in Cameroon.

Yola and Maiduguri were never in Cameroon

Ibechris2:
As of 2024, these counties below are still under British influence till date.
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.

You are correct. They are known as Commonwealth realms. They always have the option of becoming republics.

rummmy:
Gombe don't belong to that group

Yes, they do, apart from Tangale and Waja areas in the southern part of the state.

There are 36 federal states grouped into 6 geo-political zones in contemporary Nigeria.

A different approach will show that there are 5 culturally compatible regions existing within the country which are not restricted to state or zonal borders but are based on ethnicity, religion, level of socio-economic development, etc.

North:
Includes the Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri areas, and is also known as Far North or Arewa.

- Kebbi
- Sokoto
- Zamfara
- Katsina
- Northern Kaduna
- Kano
- Jigawa
- Bauchi
- Gombe
- Yobe
- Borno

Central:
Historically known as the Middle Belt. It is a diverse region of hundreds of small ethnic groups of the old Northern Nigeria region , many of which use the Hausa language as a lingua franca. It has several Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri enclaves.

- Adamawa
- Taraba
- Plateau
- Southern Kaduna
- Nasarawa
- Niger
- Benue
- FCT
- Non-Yoruba Kogi
- Non-Yoruba Kwara

West:
All Yoruba within Nigeria.

- Yoruba Kogi
- Yoruba Kwara
- Oyo
- Oshun
- Ekiti
- Ondo
- Ogun
- Lagos

East:
All Igbo within Nigeria, including related ethnic groups in the Niger Delta area.

- Northern Delta (Anioma)
- Northern Rivers
- Ebonyi
- Enugu
- Anambra
- Imo
- Abia

South:
All smaller groups in the southern part of Nigeria who are neither Yoruba nor Igbo and also excluding those closely related to the Igbo in the Niger Delta area.

- Edo
- Southern Delta
- Bayelsa
- Southern Rivers
- Akwa-Ibom
- Cross River

Minsk24:
This is very feasible, the main issue will be adamawa, i wonder if the indigenous ethnic groups will want to join arewa of middle belt, taraba will surely be part of Middle-belt...
Middle-belt will be the largest and most powerful region if it is well governed

Yes, Adamawa and maybe Niger will have to decide. The process will require sincerity and strong, positive political will.

In any case, Middle Belt and Niger Delta will still require some innovative internal arrangements to succeed because of their heterogeneity. But they are better off separated from the larger groups.

Minsk24:
With the report about states not been able to pay salaries, u can see that most states have wage bills exceeding internal revenue, this is not good at all and it goes to show that some states are not economically viable, majority of local governments are not economically viable as well....
With an over-bloated civil service across state and local governments, i think it is necessary to rethink the 36 states in Nigeria. .
..
I feel it is better to merge states or have regions..
let us have bigger states and in turn bigger local governments that can be economically viable...

5 regions:
- Arewa
- Middle Belt
- Yoruba
- Igbo
- Niger Delta

5 AUTONOMOUS REGIONS:

1. Arewa / North
2. Middle Belt / Central
3. Yoruba / West
4. Niger Delta / South
5. Igbo / East

BentizilL:
Unless you're suggesting a general turning of one state in each region to federal territory, there's no way the West will agree with your submission...

No. Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kaduna have unique histories and locations

Maazieze:
How does a federal territory differ from a state?

The only example we have for now is FCT. It is directly managed by the Federal Government through a Ministry and a Development Authority with various departments

Abuja may not be perfect. But it is the closest thing we have to a planned and organised place in Nigeria...

BentizilL:
I disagree with Lagos turning to federal territory, I'm okay with the rest..

I respect your view. I do not fully agree with it due the unique history of Lagos compared with the rest of the South-West

In any case, Kaduna and Port Harcourt must then be reintegrated to their respective regions if Lagos remains a state in the Yoruba Region

Maazieze:
I think i can get behind this, though one issue that needs to be addressed is the autonomy of LGA's, currently their stifled which retards local development, simply creating regional zones of administration wont be enough, their 3rd level of administration must have adequate autonomy.

I believe LGA's should have their roles more clearly defined. Probably by each regional government.

Dear Nairalanders, restructuring for regional autonomy is still the answer

Africans countries did not evolve in a similar pattern to countries in Europe and do not have a strong default identity for national progress except they are properly reorganised internally

Even heterogeneous countries like India had to undergo internal reorganisation to set themselves on the path to growth

Internal reorganisation of African countries will also make continental integration easier to achieve for trade and cooperation in defence and other matters

DeLaRue:
Your proposals are too simplistic, and based on some faulty assumptions.

The one about Lagos becoming a Federal Territory is nonsense.

Lagos is the economic jewel of the SW and the people will not cede their jewel to Federal govt. control.

Lagos is SW, SW is Lagos.

Thank you for your response. I understand your point about Lagos. The aim is to keep certain vital areas as special areas, possibly to discourage secession. But as you say, it may just be wishful thinking. The most likely scenario, if anything happens, would just be the current 6 zones becoming regions

In any case, we must discuss...

Dear Nairalanders, restructuring for regional autonomy is still the answer

Not the status quo, not secession...

And certainly not any of the names being circulated as possible presidents in 2023

Treat the source of the problem...

It is too late and it is impractical for African countries to redraw their boundaries. Even then, there are thousands of nations and they cannot each have their own UN recognised state

A more pragmatic approach would be for each country to take the territories they have based on their colonial history and do a proper internal organization (Ethiopia is an example) with regions having proper autonomy and high-level responsibilities

As a first level, Nigeria could have:
1. Arewa (North) populated by mainly Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri

2. Middle Belt (Central) populated by multiple nations which will not be dominated by any single nation

3. Yoruba (West)

4. Niger Delta (South) similar to Middle Belt

5. Igbo (East)

Further internal organisation can be done for the multi ethnic regions

Somalia has often been mentioned as an example of failure of a homogenous nation but their colonial history needs to be closely studied. The breakaway region called Somaliland were colonised by the British against the rest of the Somalia colonised by the Italians. In addition, part of the Somalian ethnic territory is in Ethiopia and Djibouti

Middle Belt is:
- North Central GPZ (without Yoruba areas)
- Taraba
- Adamawa
- Southern Kaduna

There are also parts of Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, and Borno States that may be included as they are not Hausa-Fulani or Kanuri areas

It does not depend on religion but on ethnicity

samdunzo:
No. The geopolitical zones in the North are NW, NE, and NC/MB. Just like the 3 regions in the South are SW, SE, and SS/ND. Giving the North 2 regions while dividing the south into 3 will only bring back one of the main points of restructuring, which is correct political imbalances across the country

I do not understand why we need to have the same number of regions. How much longer are we going to do this? For me, keep 5 regions and reassign people to the correct region they belong e.g. Kwara (Yoruba) and Delta (Igbo)

All this political balancing has not profited us very much!

samdunzo:
Why 5?

The political groups are 2 in the North and not 3

samdunzo:
Exactly. And the best thing is no region is lacking in terms of human and natural resources. The 3 northern regions are blessed with land and mineral resources, while the 3 southern regions are blessed with industries all across. Put these together, along with the general ambitiousness of the average Nigerian, and I see greatness. Just hope that our leaders, especially those from the North, can put ambitions and politics aside and hear us out

5 regions, not 6

Dede1:
If disintegration sounds anarchy to anybody, the person has issue with peaceful disengagement as the world has seen in eastern and central Europe lately. One of problems I have with Africans in general and Nigeria in particular is the tendency to compare oranges to apples. Whatever happened or happening in Scotland and UK remains in Europe. I have no business in recreating landscapes in Nigeria as you have alluded in a previous post. Everybody in Nigeria knows the delimited lines of terrains with respect to his\her ethnic nationality. In addition, I have no interest in the entity called Nigeria. I want Republic of Igbo land. If Ndigbo will go hungry and die in a nation they can call home, I say so be it.

I respect your stance on this matter. If this is the thinking of the greater number of Igbo, let us go for it. My wish is that Africa would develop states that are organic nations, each one with a strong sense of identity.

Dede1:
The idea of restructure of Nigeria much ado about nothing. So-called restructure of Nigeria cannot look better than presently configured unless Lagos and Abuja, the economic hubs of the shithole called Nigeria and created with commonwealth, are replicated in the defunct eastern and mid-western regions respectively. Why would anybody talk restructure to most people of Nigerian citizenry who do understand simple traffic rules. The best thing for Nigeria is disintegration. I am solidly behind the creation of Republic of Igbo land. After Nigeria, I really want to start afresh with sound fundamental of socio-politico-economic pedigree. If the Ndigbo cannot progressively start a new life among themselves without tribal encumbrance, the onion should be on them. I honestly believe Nigeria is a dead-end. There are many people in position to help Nigeria, even on pro bono, but Nigeria does look deserving.

Disintegration is a word that sounds like anarchy! It could become a runaway reaction!

Restructuring would allow for an interim phase after which any region that wishes can separate as a sovereign nation peacefully and in an organised manner. There is a reason why Scotland is hesitant about complete separation fron the UK even with all the reasons they have to go their own way. Also, it would not hurt to have neighbours you can be cordial with. Scotland may eventually pull out of the UK. But then, the road map and timeline would have been clearly defined

My proposal also aims at replicating Abuja in 3 other cities around the country.

Nigerians, think... Make changes to save future generations. Outright secession would be chaotic if it happens suddenly. Let us do regional autonomy restructuring immediately. If we do this, within a generation we would have gone far in resetting the country for growth

scholes0:
Lagos state can't be turned into a FT.

Maybe Eti osa and Lagos Island can follow, but definitely not the greater part (80%) of Lagos state.

I realize Lagos is a Yoruba city. It has become home to Nigerians from every LGA.

Lagos should not be made a regional city.

Adding it to the Yoruba / West Region would make it subsidise the rest of the region and make them over dependent on it, thereby stifling their own growth.

It could also lose it's economic appeal to other peoples. The idea is to improve its economic appeal locally and internationally and also create similar cities in Port Harcourt and Kaduna.

A city like Lagos should be fully independently planned and run in terms of all development infrastructure.

It would even be better to include certain parts of Ogun State as part of Lagos FT.

AsiwajuNdigbo:
Also, SE will practice a republican styled government. Im sure SWwill go for parliament style. NW will opt for Sharia. Each will introduce and start using its language to conduct business.

What mode of governance and language do you envision for Kaduna, Lagos, PortHarcourt, the new FTs you proposed?


You want go from frying pan to fire now

Each region would have its own constitution. As stated, it would develop according to its own unique identity. However, for uniformity, some aspects such as political systems would need to be agreed and harmonised as we would still belong to the same UN state. Justice systems such as Sharia can be adopted if a regions' voting population decides that way in a referendum with say, a 60% decision. Same with official languages. Adoption of official languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin English would help to integrate, educate and effectively communicate with the populace. This is why the regions should be as homogeneous as practicable. However, rather than religious or political systems, the central goal should be a conducive environment for regional economic growth.

AsiwajuNdigbo:
Everything was good except the FT.

What is your rationale for Kaduna, Lagos and Port Harcourt to be FT and governed by Federal Government?

These cities are relatively more cosmopolitan than others in the country. They were initially proposed to be Special Cities when the idea of Abuja as federal capital was introduced in the 70's. They would be special economic zones and alternative physical development areas strategically positioned around Nigeria and similar to Abuja (extensions of Abuja prototype). The original designs for Abuja would also need to be updated to keep up with modern trends (mass transportation, Internet connectivity, waste treatment, water supply, etc.). Projects like the Greater Port Harcourt development would then be taken on board by the Central government.

Similar cities can be found in China (Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and Beijing), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Diredawa), Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg)

Please, find below a possible new political arrangement in the event of anticipated restructuring of the Nigerian federation

REGIONS should be Nigeria's federating units, and should be autonomous with most of the powers currently in the Exclusive list vested upon them. They should have control of resources and pay an agreed sum to the centre (FEDERATION) and the states in each region (possibly 30% for Federal, 50% for Regional and 20% for the specific State)

STATES should be retained and be below regions and used to define intra-regional revenue sharing (as suggested above). Heterogeneous regions may also choose to have States controlling resources instead of the Region

The objective is to create autonomous regions which are largely unaffected by interference from other regions, even while being accountable to the larger Nigerian state.

"Each region must be allowed to develop in accordance with its own cultural and ethno-religious mindset. The federal centre should focus mainly on national defence, foreign policy, customs and monetary economics." - Obadiah Mailafia

MAIN HIGHLIGHTS
1. Create Gurara State from Southern Kaduna State

2. Create Kaduna FT from Kaduna City and environs

3. Create Anioma State from Northern Delta State

4. Create Port Harcourt FT from Northern Rivers State

5. Convert Lagos State to a FT

6. Combine Yoruba parts of Kwara and Kogi States into a New Kwara State

7. Transfer non-Yoruba parts of Kwara State to Niger State

8. Transfer certain defined southern parts of Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno State to the new autonomous Middle Belt Region

9. As a start, no other state should be created apart from those defined above for 10 years after adoption of the new constitution

10. Retain the same number of House of Representatives' members even with the new states

11. New Senators for the 2 new states and the 2 new FT's (3 each).

12. National assembly members to be paid by region. Salaries and allowances to be defined by each regions Public and Civil Service standards

13. No State Assemblies

14. Regional assemblies to be made up of 1 person per state

NB. FT is Federal Territory

5 AUTONOMOUS REGIONS:

1. Arewa / North (11 States) = Current NW GPZ + Bauchi + Gombe + Yobe + Borno (without Kaduna FT and Gurara)

2. Middle Belt / Central (8 States) = Current NC GPZ + Taraba + Adamawa + Gurara (without New Kwara State)

3. Yoruba / West (6 States) = Current SW GPZ + new Kwara State (without Lagos FT)

4. Niger Delta / South (6 States) = Current SS GPZ (without Anioma State and Port Harcourt FT)

5. Igbo / East (6 States) = Current SE GPZ + Anioma State


4 SPECIAL / FEDERAL TERRITORIES (to be governed by the Federation / Centre):

A. Kaduna FT

B. Abuja FCT (Current FCT)

C. Lagos FT

D. Port Harcourt FT

All decisions stated above to be subject to several referendums depending on which aspects

Kindly send in your comments. I will also attempt to respond to clarification requests

"Power must therefore be devolved to the regions. I propose five new regions: Sharia North; Yoruba West; Igbo East, Niger Delta; and Middle Belt.

Each region must be allowed to develop in accordance with its own cultural and ethno-religious mindset. The federal centre should focus mainly on national defence, foreign policy, customs and monetary economics."

- Obadiah Mailafia