In many countries of the world, federalism has emerged as a means of accommodating the growing desire of people to preserve or revive the intimacy of small societies and the growing necessity for larger combinations to mobilize the utilization of common resources. Political culture of Nigeria: 3.4 4. By the time Nigeria got her independence, the various party involved had been regionally based. The current problems facing the Nigeria government and the Biafra separatist agitators originate in the causes and the effects of the Nigerian Civil war (06 July 1967-15 January 1970). Death of a nation - Biafra and the Nigerian question.pdf, The politics and problem of fiscal federalism and revenue allocation formula in Nigeria: Who should get what, how, when and why, Resource Control: a Necessary Element for True Federalism in Nigeria, THE IMPACT OF STATE JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT ON STATE LOCAL RELATIONS IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA, MEMORANDUM ON TRUE FEDERALISM SUBMITTED BY THE 'RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA' COMMUNITY AS A RESPONSE TO THE APC COMMITTEE CALL ON TRUE FEDERALISM, THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES The Legal Framework for the Corporate Existence of Nigeria, Intricacies and paradoxes federalism and secessionism in Nigeria.pdf, Civic Education Curriculum Implementation, NIGERIAN FEDERALISM AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PURSUIT, PROSPECTS AND IMPEDIMENTS TO UNITY AND NATION BUILDING, Constitutions Making, Amendments, Reviews and Nigerias Political Development: 7 Topics . This research work x-rayed 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 . There is no doubt that geographical factored are one of the influential reasons for federalism in Nigeria. Federalism was further adopted because the developed countries from which Nigeria borrowed democracy practice federalism. Present Nigeria was formed by the amalgamation of two regions which many see as a big influence in why federalism was later adopted by the British and later on by Nigerian leaders as at the time of independence. (Tanzi, 1996). Thus, federalism seemed to be the only option left for Nigeria because it allows for popular participation in government. 1. Fear of insecurity and the desire for a Union Meaning of federalism? The intimidating size of Nigeria does not only earn her an international respect but also provides her with a buffer to attacks by rogue nations and disgruntled neighbours. So, without wasting much time, what is a federal system of government? I love this article,very educating and interesting Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier. The paper contends that unitary federalism in Nigeria is an imposition and extension of colonial and military entrenched inequalities in the Nigerian state. The Evolution, Development and Practice of Federalism in Nigeria Charas Madu Tella, Ahmed Wali Doho, Aliyu Bapeto Abstract Federalism is a political philosophy in which members of a group are. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. federalism, a heavily coercive effort by a nondemocratic centralizing power to put together a multinational state, some of the components of which had previously been independent states. or this it really helped me, Your email address will not be published. From the onset, Nigeria, like most of her federating peers, has faced one major challenge in the course of her political voyage - the crisis of who is who. Ordinarily and without much logicality, by who is who, one means the problematic and destructive component of identity. Best information base for latest information both national and international. According to Ayoade (2009:iii): Nigerians have come to identify the first republic 1960- 66 as the golden age of federalism in Nigeria. INTRO: Federalism has been approached with variegated definitions such that one might argue that there are as much definitions of federalism as there are authors on the subject. 2. RESTRUCTURE OR DISINTEGRATE, OFFICIAL CORRUPTION AND THE DILEMA OF INSTABILITY IN NIGERIA, The Rationale for AfSol in Peace and Security: The Global, National and Regional Precipitants, Agitation for Restructuring and Resource Control in Nigeria's Federalism: Issues, Perspectives and the Way Forward, Giving Peace a Chance in Nigeria: The Case for a Preventive Diplomacy, Framing of Neo-Biafra Agitations in Selected Nigerian Newspapers, CRISES OF FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA AND THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE BELT REGION, Social Media and Hate Speech: Analysis of Comments on Biafra Agitations, Nigeria. In order to examine these issues, this paper adopted qualitative research and intrinsic approach methodology, along with relative deprivation theory. British North American colonies unite 3 Up to 1867, the colonies 4 of British North America had no political or geographical links. This paper consequently argues that the anxiety as well as angst attributable to this agitation has the tendencies of not only disrupting the relative-peace presently enjoyed by the various groups, but is also, if not controlled, capable of plunging the country into a state of economic comatose and perpetual fragility. Before the amalgamation of the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate in 1914, there was nothing like Nigeria. >> REASONS FOR ADOPTION OF FEDERALISM According to IDEA (2015:3), federalism is adoption for the following reasons: Scale: This credited the operation of federalism to the adoption of democracy which allowed for citizens to participate directly in political life. The post war efforts for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the Igbo secessionist into the post-civil war Nigeria through the (3Rs) policy of rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation (the 3Rs) to promote national unity and nationalism have failed to yield desire result. On the other hand; a constitution is unitary when there are created by the law made by the central legislature and their existence depends upon the government to control, supervision of the central government. In 1963 Midwestern region was created and Nigeria became a nation of four regions. In Nigeria, the main reason for the adoption of a federal arrangement was the sociological complexity of the society, its ethnic and geographical diversity. This is another reason for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. Also see: Differences between Cross-offers and counter-offers, five reasons for the adoption of federalism in nigeria. /F3 12 0 R Your email address will not be published. The federal government however has occupied a very strong position vis--vis the State and Local government since the 1970's in Nigeria. Minority Marginalization 3.6 6. Levoluzione del federalismo nigeriano tra conflitti etnici e transizioni democratiche. Also, there was a demand for more local regions by all these ethnic interest groups which was what led to the creation of new states. Power Sharing Formula Dear Chidera, federalism allows the creation of ethnic-based federating units (States). To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. Since federal systems have been formed for different reasons and to Emphasis on indigeneity, the federal revenue allocation formula and the increasing formalization of the 'federal character' principle, to mention only a few issues, increase sources of tensions and potential conflicts. Do you know the reasons for federalism in Nigeria? /F2 9 0 R But before moving to the crux of this article, we will be looking briefly at the meaning and history of federalism in Nigeria. @VF:8=|@5&/1df gbjtCoy(L5A,JCI1/'5DT8`A!UY*&wTN5[v;KXvH* 5:>}W^Bp_ ;R!&L %s\q'(], Many Nigerian ethnic groups began to agitate for their own states. It came about following the necessity for administrative convenience and managerial expenses. The benefits of federalism are that it can encourage political participation, give states an incentive to engage in policy innovation, and accommodate diverse viewpoints across the country. There must exist supremacy of the constitution, which implies that laws passed by the authority in the federal arrangement, if contrary to the constitution shall be declared to be ultra votes. READ ALSO: Reasons for political apathy in Nigeria, Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria. of diversities helps in a nations decision to adopt the aggregative or disaggregative type of federalism. x^[YsF~[-`pys)fk"%J hE;}LO *%gH=zoN/oNS~~zb|\U?_s3jJ}ZxhK2&$9|H-&9)q7"|kxN7i,anHiw>&_N~@bdkBs>gIM>z2|1zFDW+1"y-#HCQJmvj4CW5z,#IwHGc&Y"`Sg|2)FQ& p:?WT hQ4M:*|9tKy?c[U(zqfNBA=XCOf~2i6KC@;DGO? Granted is the fact that federalism was launched in Nigeria by expatriate leaders, its continued existence since independence is standing firm on the interest of the indegeneous leaders. Stated reasons of the coup were prevailing gangsterism and disorder, corruption and nepotism in the civil government. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. This particular corroborated federalism in Nigeria. 7 Cooperative federalism was dominant from the 1930s through the 1970s. This paper exploits the growth benefits that ICT sector has provided and its impact on the Nigerian economy. /Width 371 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Matters, enumerated in the exclusive list are selected for the federal authority, while matters that fall within the concurrent list are selected for the federal government, and the regions. As a Nigerian, it is important to understand some basic things about the system of governance in Nigeria and why it is so. 2) The Problem of Minorities: In Nigeria, there are majority groups and minority groups. It also shows the growth rate as an engine to the development of economies of developing countries like Nigeria in this 21p century. Useful tips on how to download from YouTube using SS, 10 most delicious Nigerian dishes for dinner, "Youve admitted election was flawed", Atiku replies Tinubu campaign, Whitney Adeyemi: Protest Hits Lagos as Residents Besiege Chrisland School, Long Fulani tribal braids: 30 beautiful styles to try out, Old Naira notes: 5 key things to know about Supreme Court's final verdict, "Precious don finish work": Little girl with 'anointing' prays passionately over food as mum watches, video trends. This simply means that federalism in Nigeria provides accommodation, an institutional arrangement which gives the component units equal and coordinate jural status. Adobe d C But nigeria today became the proudable and bearable country, These maladies have led to a renewal of the call for secession by the South-Eastern ethnic group of Nigeria for a Republic of Biafra, on the basis that they are being short-changed in the political cum socio-economic largess accumulating from the Centre. This is because most of the power (financial and. The paper begins by placing the question in an historical context examines its different phases and characters. As a result, issues relating to marginalization, economic imbalance, social alienation, ethnic suspicion and superior-subordination contestation are recurring malaises in the system. 3. Federalism is a system of government where there are a decentralization power and autonomy of governance to the regional or federated states that share sovereignty with the Federal Government. Therefore, striking an acceptable delicate balance between these two divides, has, time and again, become a well known problematic world over. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Nigeria as a nation has succeeded in commanding influence among member states by the virtue of its size. POL 124 MAIN CONTENT Mar 21, 2011 NEW (1), Resource Control, Federalism and Peace in the Niger Delta: A Reflection on Nigeria at Fifty, Federalism and Revenue Allocation in Nigeria: A Critical Evaluation of the Derivation Principle, Legal Framework for Fiscal Federalism: Issues and Options for Reform, RESOURCE CONTROL, REVENUE ALLOCATION AND PETROLEUM POLITICS IN NIGERIA: THE NIGER DELTA QUESTION, Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Issues and Challenges, The Nigerian State and the Quest for Restructuring: Implications for Democratic Consolidation, Federalism, Democracy and Constitutionalism: The Nigerian Experience. Federalism has been present in Nigeria since the former British colony was reorganized into a federation of three regions in 1946. 7 Topics Revenue Allocation in Nigeria | Week 9. Brad Simpson (2014) The Biafran secession and the limits of self-determination, Journal of Genocide Research, 16:2-3, 337-354, WARN POLICY BRIEF THE NIGERIA STATE AND THE BIAFRA QUESTION: THREATS TO OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIONAL COHESION, LAST TRAIN TO BIAFRA - Memories of a Biafran Child: A Personal Family Experience, Fiscal Federalism, Ethnic Minorities and the National Question in Nigeria: Revisiting the Case of the Niger Delta People, WARN POLICY BRIEF WARN POLICY BRIEF THE NIGERIA STATE AND THE BIAFRA QUESTION: THREATS TO OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIONAL COHESION, Biafra Resurgence: State Failure, Insecurity and Separatist Agitations in Nigeria, Biafra Separatism: Causes, Consequences and Remedies, The Nigerian State and the Quest for Restructuring: Implications for Democratic Consolidation, THE DISINTEGRATION OF YUGOSLAVIA: A LESSON FOR NIGERIA, MASSOB AND IPOB SELF DETERMINATION AND THE NIGERIA STATE, Ndi Igbo, Leadership, Nationhood, the Nigerian Dilemma and Why We Are All Biafrans, Death of a nation - Biafra and the Nigerian question.pdf, Exploring the Dimensions of Secessionist Agitations: Security Threats and Implications for Nigeria 1966-2016, REVISITING THE NIGERIA-BIAFRA WAR: THE INTANGIBLES OF POST- WAR RECONCILIATION, The Ambiguity of Constitutional Silence on State Secession in Nigeria: Looking Beyond Politics of Compassion and Prejudice, West Africa Insight Secessionist Movement ENGLISH Version, Situation Analysis on Public Safety and Security Governorship Election in Anambra State, IGBOS, A PEOPLE THRIVING AMIDST ADVERSITY: WHO ARE THE IGBOS, Pro-Biafran Activists and the call for a Referendum: A Sentiment Analysis of 'Biafraexit' on Twitter after UK's vote to leave the European Union, NIGERIA: WHAT IS TO BE DONE? Voter Turnout, Voting Behavior and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria By Professor Sakah Saidu Mahmud Kwara State University, Malete 1. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ The logic for this call, nay, agitation for self-determination by this group is not faulty in itself except that the laws of the land; Nigeria 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not guarantee self-determination or secession by any group of the Nigerian political environment. There are Benin and Togo in between Ghana and Nigeria, two of the former British African colonies. In other not to control only some parts of the big country, Nigeria, the colonial masters thought it wise to divide the country into different component units that will be represented in the government. Here, both the majority and minority are represented in the government. It means that the sovereign unit (Centre) and local units . V(B8eDK@sx AK hG~ u;6DV,pwP# _ O4C sR 8_yC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Hon. The Plural nature of Nigeria: Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. However, that is not so in a federal government system. Federalism in Nigeria. Also, Read: Local Government In Nigeria : Definition, Functions, And Importance. The origin of federalism in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial era. Over the years, it is quite obvious that Nigeria is one of the few countries that adopted federal system of Government in Africa, a system that envisages autonomy for every sect of its authorities (federal, state and local government respectively). +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Again, in 1967 twelve states were created to appease the interest of those clamoring for states and weaken the geo-political holds of Biafra. In this article, i will comprehensively discuss the reasons for federalism in Nigeria. s" Federalism as a system of government which is meant to help to advance good governance and development of a multi-ethnic and big country like Nigeria. With the total area of 923,768 km, Nigeria can not justifiably be administered by a lone leviathan from the top. The fact that these nations chose to adopt a federal system does not prove anything; it does, however, suggest that federalism may help these countries manage the problems that come with ethnic . It has been suggested that the creation of more states and local government have helped in the distribution of national cake. 2013 PP.100-107, This paper explores the issue of unification federalism in Nigeria, which has been an obstacle to peace, development and threats to security .The findings from an extensive reading of related materials suggest that, the root of contemporary political conflict and underdevelopment in Nigeria political landscape shows clearly in the area of imbalance political structures that were established before and after independence. /Length 3884 The paper suggested that fiscal and political restructuring as panacea for the instituted conflicts and underdevelopment caused by quasi federalism through ongoing review of the 1999 constitution. Evidently, Nigeria's political culture. The Political Economy and Un-ending Search, Agitation for Restructuring and Resource Control in Nigeria's Federalism: Issues, Perspectives and the Way Forward, Federalism, Military Legacies and the Restructuring Debate in Contemporary Nigeria, Federalism, Decentralisation and the Liberalisation of Business Environment in Nigeria, Hands Behind their backs: Making a case for a region-centred restructuring framework, Nigerian Pseudo-Federalism and the Agitations for Restructuring, The evolution of fiscal centralism and strong centre federalism in Nigeria An historical analysis, The Nigerian fiscal formulas and the agitations for resource control in the Niger delta region of. The first military head of state was dethroned for adopting unitary system of government yet successive military administration in practice follow unitary principle instead of federal system. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. This regional arrangement gave rise to ethnic sentiment and political struggle for the center among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. In Nigeria, it could be argued that our federal system of government is the creation of British colonialism. Political institutions, Kinship ties, Origin of towns and their cultural antecedents are enriched with similar history. Required fields are marked *. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Promoters of the idea were of the view that the The advanced economies where Nigeria had borrowed leaves from, such as USA practice federalism. Nigeria's independence was gotten and founded on the basis of a federalist system of Government. Nigeria's founding fathers desired a federal political framework, believing that federal states have the structural capacity to accommodate diversity. The Emergence of Nigeria as a political entity under colonial rule was not an easy affair. The Attorney General sought to know whether the 13% sharing formula of the oil producing states should include revenue from oil producing states should include revenue from oil production activities off shore. Rather there has been more challenges than benefits of this federal system. /F5 18 0 R Federalism: Federal Features in the Colonial State." A chronology of critical events in Nigeria's political development from the adoption of a federal system in 1954 to the present is provided in Table 1. % MCC Vol 2 No 1 Article 04.pdf, GJ #2018, 2, Globalization and Federation in Peril: Renewed Agitations for Statehood and the Future of Nigerian State, by A. M. Maigari and U. Dantani, GLOBALIZATION AND FEDERATION IN PERIL: RENEWED AGITATIONS FOR STATEHOOD AND THE FUTURE OF NIGERIAN STATE, RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA: BEYOND POLITICAL RHETORIC AND THE MORAL PANIC, PDF copy of Published paper on Agitation and restructuring.pdf, ESSAYS ON RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION AS A PEREMPTORY NORM AND THE LIMITATION IN EXERCISING THAT RIGHT.pdf, Federalism, Military Legacies and the Restructuring Debate in Contemporary Nigeria, Legal Aid Journal of Legal Issues Vol. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Nigeria as a result was divided into three provinces. Biafrans who are geographically in the South and SouthEast of Ni-geria feel and believe that their economic and developmental prowess are not well represented in the Nigerian state, and this lack of representation leads to marginalization. This marginalization is evinced by untold hardships such as poverty, lack of infrastructure for health care and education, and generally impaired wellbeing. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government . Peter W I L F R E D Naankiel, FRED EKPE F. AYOKHAI, Covenant University Journal of Politics and International Affairs, African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, African Journal of Governance and Development, Calabar Journal of Politics and Administration, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Under Reconstruction: Ethnicity, Ethnic Nationalism, and the Future of the Nigerian State, Institutional Engineering and the Survival of Nigerian Federalism, " Managing a Plural Society : the Boomerang Effects of Nigerian Federalism' Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics , 27, 1-2 (July 1989), 218-245, An Historical Interrogation of Federalism berlin, THE PRACTICE OF TRUE FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA AND THE NIGER DELTA QUESTION, "The dawn of constitutionalism in Nigeria in Mbondenyi, M. K., and Ojienda T. 4 Topics . The first military head of state, General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi for instance was interested in a unitary Nigeria and he scrapped federalism. Moreover, /Type /Page Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. This paper is a critical exploration of the current challenges bedeviling the Nigerian state, capable of heating up the polity and disintegrating the Nigerian project. Since a strong bond links the process through which constitutions are produced and their degree of acceptance and effectiveness, questions over the Constitutions legitimacy prompted parliament to amend it in 2010. Pls visit us again dear reader. The British in their quest for economic wealth and geo-political edges over other Europeans in Africa made Nigeria the largest British colony in Africa. It is also an undisputed fact that the Hausas and Yorubas fought Biafra to keep the unity of Nigeria. Some of the reasons include preservation of identities. Keywords: Civil war, Secession, Self-determination, Nationalism and Restructuring, This work critically examines the issues undermining the unification of Nigeria, using indicators and concepts including failed state, separatist agitation and insecurity. Federalism is a type of government in which the sovereign authority of political power is usually divided between two units. Manages And Maintains And Secures Nigeria. In the words of Richards, regionalism was introduced to strengthen unity in diversity. Full History of Nigerian Federalism. The USA and Canada were formed with the above interest at heart. +roiF9_? AK ku nh4P9\ }}31Ik "V mk@G~ . /F6 21 0 R Meaningful studies, especially the comparative study of Vile, have significantly shown that emerging challenges of conflict, cooperation and competition amongst levels of government in classical federalist states such as U.S., Canada and Australia, are important rationales for federating as well as the hallmarks of federal government (Vile, cited in Jinadu, 1979). Regrettably, this system is founded on a militarily-conceived constitution lacking a fully enforceable bill of rights and clear governmental functions. Now, because the level of the development of the productive forces was still at a rudimentary stage, the pervasiveness of commodity relations was equally at a low level. The construct of federalism, which originates with the concept of intergovernmental relations, dates back to the Greek civilization. - Cooperative or "marble-cake" federalism is de ned as a exible relationship between the national and state government in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs. In developing countries like India, Iraq and Nigeria, federalism has either failed to close developmental gaps and ethno-communal tensions among various states or, more worryingly, in some. %PDF-1.5 The military were able to create more states because military decrees do not pass the same rigorous method bills pass in a democratic government. In the first place, therefore, the contemplation of a federal pact is one of an overwhelming outcome of the emphatic need to handle the above concerns acceptably.