Wheare who contends that it is a system where powers are shared between central and regional governments so that each is in a sphere cordinate and independent. Federalism was favoured among other systems of government in a bid to averting . In Nigeria, the main reason for the adoption of a federal arrangement was the sociological complexity of the society, its ethnic and geographical diversity. In some areas where major communal or other social antagonism cuts across territorial boundaries, ranging through all the federating units, communities or classes have been driven to seek to protect or strengthen their position by inter-territorial union. Moreover, Federalism as said earlier decentralizes power. Rather there has been more challenges than benefits of this federal system. Policy Brief on the agitation for cessation of Biafra republic from the Nigerian state, response to the agitation and the options to address the issues. /Height 235 |4-Iv Stated reasons of the coup were prevailing gangsterism and disorder, corruption and nepotism in the civil government. Minority Issues and the Creation of State | Week 10. The availability of resources in a particular region and the need for that area to control the resources has also been seen as a reason for a federal system in Nigeria. 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. @VF:8=|@5&/1df gbjtCoy(L5A,JCI1/'5DT8`A!UY*&wTN5[v;KXvH* 5:>}W^Bp_ ;R!&L %s\q'(], Federalism was further adopted because the developed countries from which Nigeria borrowed democracy practice federalism. Here, the Attorney General of the Federation Instituted the case to test the true position so that the federal government would be guided on the varying issues of derivation formula. After nearly three decades of cumulative military rule, the country returned to civilian governance in 1999 under a presidential system of government. and Democracy in Nigeria, ISSUES IN NIGERIAN FISCAL FEDERALISM; THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRINCIPLE OF DERIVATION AND RESOURCE CONTROL. 4 0 obj Unfortunately, since the formation of Nigeria and adoption of this system of governance in the country has not seen much effect of federalism. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. If the desire to remain separate does not exist, the the association will not be federal but unitary with some delegation of powers to local government. By and large, it is the nature of the relationship of the federal and state governments that determines whether a state is federal or unitary. /Type /Page 6 0 obj s" The disadvantages are that it can set off a race to the bottom among states, cause cross-state economic and social disparities, and obstruct federal efforts . There may be no point, of course, boring ones moment with such lengthy activity of working out their conceptual nuances. As I have already explained, Nigeria is an amalgamation of three different regions with beliefs and customs. 2) The Problem of Minorities: In Nigeria, there are majority groups and minority groups. This has led to a deep sense of alienation and politics of ethnic identity. The regional government had power over matters that are listed under the residual list. The construct of federalism, which originates with the concept of intergovernmental relations, dates back to the Greek civilization. It is not surprising that Nigeria in its 55 years of political sojourn has tried different forms of federalism. This marginalization is evinced by untold hardships such as poverty, lack of infrastructure for health care and education, and generally impaired wellbeing. The 1951 constitution gave more strength to regionalism with the creation of two chamber legislation in the northern and western Nigeria. 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 . More so, the colonial masters with the Richards Constitution in 1947 launched Nigeria onto the path of the present federal system of government via the regionalization of the country. Your email address will not be published. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. Your email address will not be published. Military administration does not apply the principle of federation. There are other political systems the country could have adopted but because of some reasons which I am going to share with you today, federalism seemed to be the best idea. 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 . 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. It was believed that federal system of government would take care of the interest of the minority and human rights that had been the fear of the minority under colonial rule. Thus, there is continuous agitation by many ethnic nationalities for a sovereign national conference in order to renegotiate the Nigeria federal deal to put Nigeria on the path of true federalism to guarantee her unity and co-existence. The Babangida administration followed the same step and created 21 states and more local governments. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In light of this, a constitution is said to be federal when its operates two levels of government, that is the federal and state, and each of this level exercise its different powers without interference by the other level. Manages And Maintains And Secures Nigeria. The paper begins by placing the question in an historical context examines its different phases and characters. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. And even now we can see the population of Nigeria compared to other countries in Africa. Power Sharing Formula It advocates good governance and a participatory approach to constitutional review as the foundations for strong constitutionalism in Nigeria. 7. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Naturally, federal system of government has some distinctive features namely: 1. Even the masses in the rural areas of the country are allowed to participate in politics by electing their representatives into office. Below are the reasons why Nigeria adopted a federal system of government: The major reason for the adoption of federal system of government in Nigeria is borne out of the historical experience that brought all the ethical groups together under one Nigeria. Nigeria, a previously unitary state, became a federation in 1954. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation is one of the devices built into the federal constitution of Nigeria as a means of achieving unity in diversity. One of the major reasons why countries choose federalism is because of size. Federalism will shape the long-term health and economic impacts of COVID-19, including plans for the future, for at least two reasons: First, federalism exacerbates inequities, as some states have a history of underinvesting in social programs, especially in certain communities. Another reason why federalism is adopted by any country is that of its population. Again, in 1967 twelve states were created to appease the interest of those clamoring for states and weaken the geo-political holds of Biafra. Thus, Nigeria's federalism is not only complex but also hard to understand. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? 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. Voter Turnout, Voting Behavior and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria By Professor Sakah Saidu Mahmud Kwara State University, Malete 1. % /Width 371 examines the question on why federalism has not succeeded in managing and accommodating diversity in Nigeria. was federalism friendly and that gave rise to easy adoption of . It represents a synthetic between two perspectiveneess; one is that politics of the United States should produce the good commonwealth and the other is that the principal task of politics is to create an open political market. The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.8, no.2, . Reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria include: 1. Nigeria are typically inclined to the derivation principle, which is the process of distributing centrally generated revenue to constituent units with regards to the contribution made by a group to the country's more 12substantial income. The second theory focuses on the existence of external military or diplomatic threat for the origin of federalism. by the federal or any state government. On the contrary it has also been suggested that is created more diversity and conflict for the nation to grapple with. Other specific reasons for the increasing demand for decentralisation are: Central governments increasingly are finding that it is impossible for them to . Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. June 1,2022 Why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria, SEE REASONS HERE. FRED EKPE F. AYOKHAI, Peter W I L F R E D Naankiel, This study, using content analysis, examined the impact of fiscal federalism and the struggles of ethnic minority groups in the Niger Delta on the trajectories of the national question in Nigeria. Federalism, State creation and National Integration State creation like federal character, quota system, etc. In recent times, specifically in post 2015 general election, there have been new waves of agitations for the Biafra republic by both Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra and Indigenous People of Biafra on one hand and for Niger Delta republic by Niger Delta Avengers on the other, added to terrorism and militancy that are already threatening Nigeria fragile state. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is publishing this proposed rule to revise HUD's regulations for branch office registration requirements. It should be noted that the Federal Military Government had earlier by fiat taken proceeds from offshore prospecting and drilling activities directly under federal eminent domain. Email Address. 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. Problems facing the legal profession in Nigeria, History of the legal profession in Nigeria, Problems of Local Government in Nigeria And Solutions, 5 important Characteristic of customary law, Sources of Nigerian Law: everything you need to know. This paper recommends that there should be an overhaul of the political system through constitutional amendment process to expunge provisions that negate federalism and provide for implementation of true federalism. . Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. However, that is not so in a federal government system. >> Identities can be in terms of ethnicity, culture, religion and other differences," she says. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. The main goal of the Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, the agreement that governed the 13 colonies and was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War . Have you ever wondered why Nigeria is practicing a federal system of government and not any other system? Defence, Security, Economy and Development, Chigozirim Odinkalu, Ebenebe Ernest Onyeka, Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies (eJECS), International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS), Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation, African Journal of Governance and Development, Calabar Journal of Politics and Administration. 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. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz 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. This type of government is also known as a "federation" or a "federal state" in common parlance (eg., United States of America). So, what are the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? 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. or this it really helped me, Your email address will not be published. 33 The Marriage Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, sec 18 specifically stipulates: "If either party to an intended marriage, not being a Consent widower or widow, is under twenty-one years of age, the written consent of the father, or if he be dead or of unsound mind or absent from Nigeria, of the mother, or if both be dead or of unsound mind or absent from Nigeria, of the . The Hausa Fulani and the Minorities feared the domination of political powers by the Igbos and Yorubas. Common national, racial, religious, cultural linguistic or social ties have often contributed to the unification of political unit. Minority Marginalization 3.6 6. This regional arrangement gave rise to ethnic sentiment and political struggle for the center among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Some of the reasons include preservation of identities. A large body of literature exists on Nigeria's fiscal federalism particularly with reference to revenue allocation. Very often, the problem has appeared in twofold. % /F7 24 0 R +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ ICT services have help in the improvement of the markets, reduction in transaction costs and increase . In 1954, the Nigerian founding fathers opted for a federal system of government despite its inherent challenges in a pluralistic society. With the total area of 923,768 km, Nigeria can not justifiably be administered by a lone leviathan from the top. That is often the reason why some adherents of Marx quarrel vehemently about such preordained classification such as: haves and have-nots; and the liberal minds grappling with, insisting not only that all hands are not equal, but that they must never, for whatsoever reason at all, be made equal - believing that that would tantamount to the highest injustice. /Length 3884 +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Therefore, striking an acceptable delicate balance between these two divides, has, time and again, become a well known problematic world over. The paper contends that unitary federalism in Nigeria is an imposition and extension of colonial and military entrenched inequalities in the Nigerian state. Meaningful studies, especially the comparative study of Vile, have significantly shown that emerging challenges of conflict, cooperation and competition amongst levels of government in classical federalist states such as U.S., Canada and Australia, are important rationales for federating as well as the hallmarks of federal government (Vile, cited in Jinadu, 1979). Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government . /Resources << The Evolution, Development and Practice of Federalism in Nigeria Charas Madu Tella, Ahmed Wali Doho, Aliyu Bapeto Abstract Federalism is a political philosophy in which members of a group are. 19 more states were created in 1976 in order to score more political advantage by the Murtala-Obasanjo regime against those that favor General Yakubu Gowon. So for effective governance of a country of this big size, federalism has to be adopted. The Complete Material Will Be Sent To Your . Pls visit us again dear reader. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. /Length 14727 Fourthly, there shall be the existence of court to interpret the constitution as it applies to cases and conflicts among the tiers of government. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ /F5 18 0 R Is there high propensity or likelihood of exclusion, marginalization and relative deprivation, which was to engender obsessive mutual antagonism? More importantly, certain heavy but blurred (or fluid) terminologies that define or designate Nigerias federal principle, which are highly pertinent to coexistence, have yet compounded the theoretical and practical significance of federalism in Nigeria. The federal government however has occupied a very strong position vis--vis the State and Local government since the 1970's in Nigeria. It is believed by many that this was one of the reasons why Nigeria adopted a federalist system. The USA and Canada were formed with the above interest at heart. Local Government In Nigeria : Definition, Functions, And Importance, Bad Leadership Causes, Effects And Solutions In Nigeria, How To Calculate OAU Aggregate Score for Admission, Best Education Websites and Blogs In Nigeria (2021), Lakzeland Regional High School Board Of Education, Student Loan Planning Educational Webinar With Justin Rice, Is Agricultural Chemicals a Good Career Path? 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. In order to examine these issues, this paper adopted qualitative research and intrinsic approach methodology, along with relative deprivation theory. 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. 3l:rmO"XDhG%2| The calls for restructuring have been louder particularly from the southern part of Nigeria. REASONS FOR LOW TRADE Historical reasons - India adopted socialist model of economy and policy of import substitution and protectionism till 1990s and civil wars and domestic instability in other countries Poor Connectivity- Due to difficult terrain on borders, poor development of inland waterways, poor border infrastructure like border huts . 1. This has nexus with the particular sharing formula adopted. I love this article,very educating and interesting Nigeria and Ghana can not easily form a country chiefly because they are not geographically contiguous. All these strengthen political bonds and gave Rice to unity in diversity. Reasons for a state to adopt a federal system include the need to reflect linguistic, economic and cultural differences of a population, especially one that is concentrated geographically. Not minding the general relevance of these coinages, an arduous task lies in properly assessing their specific impacts in a given political enclave. Another cogent reason for federalism in Nigeria is the fear of marginalization. Also it is more useful to expansiate on them. Olawale Olaopa, Ibikunle Ogundari, Mike Awoleye and Willie Siyanbola, Nigeria Quasi Federalism: An Obstacle To Peace And Development In Nigeria, FEDERAL BALANCING IN NIGERIA: A PARADIGM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY, DECENTRALIZING PUBLIC SECTOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND THE CONTRADICTIONS OF FEDERAL PRACTICE IN NIGERIA, The National Assembly, Constitution Amendment and Civil Society Expectations, True Federalism in Nigeria: A Political Discourse, Re-regionalization and Fiscal Federalism: The Panacea for Accelerated National Development in Nigeria, REPORT OF NIGERIA'S 2014 NATIONAL DIALOGUE, Politics, Power. Federalism was basically introduced to bring about peace and unity in the different regions of the country. Despite the profound and lengthy discussions that have taken place on the subject for about four and half decades, consensus has not been reached concerning the optimal formula to adopt to achieve desired economic development . Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier. /F2 9 0 R So, without wasting much time, what is a federal system of government? 7 Topics . >> As a result of this, it has brought about the cry of the minorities clamoring for their own state. Introduction In a statement on the 2015 Nigerian General Elections the Freedom House (2015a) congratulated Nigerians for an election that appears to be one of the smoothest and least violent in Nigeria's Political culture of Nigeria: 3.4 4. THE THEME OF IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM IN THE IPOB SECESSIONIST STRUGGLE, Abdul's Assignment on 711 Dr. Usman Mohammed, A nation divided against itself: Biafra and the conflicting online protest discourses, Ethnicity, Political Exclusion and the Resurgence of Separatism in South-Eastern, Nigeria, Hands Behind their backs: Making a case for a region-centred restructuring framework, THE EFFECT OF CRIMINAL INJUSTICE AGAINST EASTERN NIGERIA AND THE DEMAND FOR SELF-DETERMINATION BY IPOB. Hon. Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. What a nice and educating document!We are grateful for this post. Further Philosophical Issues 4.1 Sovereignty or federalism 4.2 Issues of Constitutional and Institutional Design 4.3 Sources of Stability 4.4 Division of Power 4.5 Distributive Justice 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. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. Nigeria did not choose federal system of government because it is the best or most practiced system of government in the world. Also it is more useful to expansiate on them. ideology, federalism becomes the only solution to ensure peace and unity amongst the. Since Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation and Federalism is more practicable in such kind of nation, it is an ideal system of government. Instead of designing a government that should unite the different elements in Nigeria, the colonialists fully adopted federal stem of government in 1954 and created greater regional autonomy. << 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. To begin with, the title of this book, " Last Train to Biafra " is allegorically evocative of the severing of, or rather the dead relationship between Nigeria and Biafra. By the time Nigeria became a republic, the system of federalism was adopted and the country was considered as a federation of three regions. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. However, where there is a conflict of authority between the federal government and regional government, the federal authority supersedes. 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. 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. Despite that, instead of unity, cooperation and consensus, there has been apparent division, disagreement, and dissension. From that date, the concept of federalism incorporated the idea of patterned contact at two levels: at the governmental level between the participating units, and among the citizens of these different units (Dare, 1979:26). Federalism shares power between the central and regional governments; thus promoting efficiency in service delivery and governance. Why do nations federate?, what are the factors or conditions to have necessitated the adoption of federalism?, how is a federation to be organized?, how is power to be shared between the levels of government in a federation?, is federalism a means to an end or an end itself?, why do some federations succeed and others fail?. Federalism is a defined or is said to be the system where powers are shared between central and regional governments so that each is in a sphere coordinate and are independent. This particular corroborated federalism in Nigeria. 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. Generally speaking, one of the reasons for federalism is common historical or ancestral background. No doubt, the Ethnic, Religious and Geographical nature of Nigeria also contributed to the reason why federalism was adopted. The federal system adopted in 1954 comprised a national government and three regional governments: Eastern, Northern, and Western. What are the reasons Nigeria adopted the Federalism system of government in Nigeria? The analysis of the emerging issues and scenarios as well as the response options aims at supporting the efforts of different stakeholders including the Federal government on managing the current pro-Biafra agitation. We can offhandedly list all of the reasons for the adoption of federal system in Nigeria. >> Promoters of the idea were of the view that the To avert this domination, states unite to form a strong, virile and stable union capable of withstanding external attacks. Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. /Subtype /Image Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Unity of the country: 3.3 3. In Nigerias case, the tongues and tribes that made up Nigeria has one colonial history. Also see: Historical constitutional development in Nigeria explained. Abstract One of the arguments for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the desire for economic and political viability and development in a nation of uneven distribution of human and. The Plural nature of Nigeria: Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. of diversities helps in a nations decision to adopt the aggregative or disaggregative type of federalism. Nigeria can be said to be operating the federal system of government, whereas in actual practice, the country is tending towards a unitary system. Moreover, it is important to note that most of the ethnic groups in Nigeria had strong political inter-group relationship before colonial rule. SjHw`d"*z;3N&W3k]:}N\t+5 (Nw3hW"T"aDV$V e. Over the years the fiscal federalism in Nigeria has crystallised and remained . Federalism And Intergovernmental Relations In Nigeria. 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: government and the governed by enhancing political cohesion in such country with regional, ethic, racial, linguistic and cultural diversity like Nigeria. sir Arthur Richards strengthened this proposal in 1945 and regionalism was introduced by his administration in 1946. Another important factor that necessitated federalism in Nigeria was the political culture of the country. What were the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. 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.