Despite that, instead of unity, cooperation and consensus, there has been apparent division, disagreement, and dissension. politicization of ethnicity or the ethnicization of the politics of state creation that Nigeria has witnessed in recent years. In federalism, there is accountability, there is transparency. Federalism can be defined as a system of government in which political powers of the state are shared between the central government and other component units. 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. Also see: Reasons why lawyers wear wigs to court, Origin and nature of federalism in Nigeria. In the words of Richards, regionalism was introduced to strengthen unity in diversity. PDF The Efficacy of Federalism in a Multi-Ethnic State: The Nigerian - CORE There may be no point, of course, boring ones moment with such lengthy activity of working out their conceptual nuances. This feature of federalism is widely believed to be a veritable framework for even and need-sensitive development. endobj Your email address will not be published. Nigeria, a previously unitary state, became a federation in 1954. Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. 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. In Nigerias case, the tongues and tribes that made up Nigeria has one colonial history. Unity of the country: 3.3 3. It advocates good governance and a participatory approach to constitutional review as the foundations for strong constitutionalism in Nigeria. The governmental powers are shared between the federal government and the thirty-six state governments. There was just the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate. /Contents 4 0 R But besides these three major tribes, there are over 350 other smaller tribes with diverse languages and dialects. Federalism also in this manner, preserves cultures of the minorities from being drowned in the ocean of the cultures of the majorities. Some of the reasons include preservation of identities. After nearly three decades of cumulative military rule, the country returned to civilian governance in 1999 under a presidential system of government. 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). The size of Nigeria is therefore managed and maintained with federalism. Geographical nearness of the component states to each other and the state network of roads and transportation. In 1939 sir Bernard Bourdillion made a serious constitutional proposal which concluded having regional councils with a central council in Lagos. It submits that the problem with constitutionalism in Nigeria is poor leadership and poor implementation of the Constitution. Federalism - Federal Features of Indian Constitution For UPSC! Dear Chidera, federalism allows the creation of ethnic-based federating units (States). It allows for popular participation in politics at every level of government. Keywords: Federalism, Nigeria, ethnic groups, federal character principle . What a nice article, very educative for students in school, Could you please explain fear of minorities, Could you please explain fear of minorities, Economic factors and Diversities in culture. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ One of the major reasons why countries choose federalism is because of size. By every political barometer, this is a thought-provoking account of the Nigeria-Biafra political imbroglio. The federal government however has occupied a very strong position vis--vis the State and Local government since the 1970's in Nigeria. All rights reserved. Reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria - Legit.ng 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. % Changes in Branch Office Registration Requirements 2. That notwithstanding, The origin and concept of federalism boasts of a very popular definition by an American scholar, K.C. /Parent 2 0 R There are three major tribes in Nigeria namely Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. Federalism has been present in Nigeria since the former British colony was reorganized into a federation of three regions in 1946. /Height 235 (8 Best Paying Jobs), General consensus among our leaders when seeking independence from Britain. PDF Fiscal Federalism, Resource Control, and Restructuring in Nigeria: the But nigeria today became the proudable and bearable country, Levoluzione del federalismo nigeriano tra conflitti etnici e transizioni democratiche. 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. 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. Reasons for the Adoption of Federalism in Nigeria | LearnAllinfo /Type /XObject Such an act has constituted to one of the major problems of federalism thereby militating against the development of the nation. The possible reasons for the practice of federalism in Nigeria are several, and have, for instance, been presented as British imposition targeted at a post-colonial relationship, or as a. Not minding the general relevance of these coinages, an arduous task lies in properly assessing their specific impacts in a given political enclave. Since Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation and Federalism is more practicable in such kind of nation, it is an ideal system of government. Nigeria- Constitutional Developments Political Economy Judiciary and 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. 4 Topics . (Pdf) Fiscal Federalism and Local Government Financial Autonomy in 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. 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). This simply means that federalism in Nigeria provides accommodation, an institutional arrangement which gives the component units equal and coordinate jural status. Before the amalgamation of the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate in 1914, there was nothing like Nigeria. Promoters of the idea were of the view that the Then Nigeria was organised into a federation that had three regions. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. Fiscal Federalism and Democratic Governance in Nigeria - I. O. Taiwo 2004 In my view, federalism is a good system for Nigeria. 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. Abacha regime, added more states making Nigeria a federation of 36 states and Federal capital Territory at Abuja. Other specific reasons for the increasing demand for decentralisation are: Central governments increasingly are finding that it is impossible for them to . /F5 18 0 R Nigeria's independence was gotten and founded on the basis of a federalist system of Government. Why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria, SEE REASONS HERE. 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. 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 . Besides the Big Three Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, there are other macro and micro ethnic minorities in the country. or this it really helped me, Your email address will not be published. However, that is not so in a federal government system. I have said that Nigeria is reputed to be the largest black country around, even Nigeria has claimed to be the giant of Africa by . Federalism in India. It has been suggested that the creation of more states and local government have helped in the distribution of national cake. Economic factors in adoption of federalism in Nigeria are not unconnected with the issues of resource control, wealth generation and redistribution, and income distribution. It is also an undisputed fact that the Hausas and Yorubas fought Biafra to keep the unity of Nigeria. The history of Ijaw, Edo, Igala, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe and Hausa Kingdoms are enriched with social-political relationships that existed before the emergence of the white man. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ /Width 371 In 1954, the Nigerian founding fathers opted for a federal system of government despite its inherent challenges in a pluralistic society. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. Nigeria therefore falls into the latter because of the wide diversities. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide 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. Revenue Allocation and Economic Development in Nigeria: An Empirical 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. In this article, i will comprehensively discuss the reasons for federalism in Nigeria. Federalism was favoured among other systems of government in a bid to averting both fancied and real fear of domination among the minorities. It argues that although deficient in popular sovereignty, the Constitutions legitimacy is moot since it is the operative law that governs the country. 2023, Bscholarly LLC. /Subtype /Image Federalism is a type of government in which the sovereign authority of political power is usually divided between two units. Evidently, Nigerias political culture was federalism friendly and that gave rise to easy adoption of federalism. Government at different periods had set up commissions to advise on the acceptable revenue sharing formula, especially as it affects the three (3) tiers of 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. 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. It should be noted, however, that the Leagues significantly differ from modern federations in one respect: namely, while the various governments freely interacted, no prosperous direct contact between the populace of the various governments was permitted. 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. Federalism was implemented in Nigeria as way back as 1946 during the British colonial era. Thus, Nigeria's federalism is not only complex but also hard to understand. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Download Defensive Federalism [PDF] Format for Free - Clemson Parade Population of the country This duplicity of government is not alien to a federal structure as identified, except that in the Nigerian case, there is ineffable strife for dominance. International Relations - PRAHAAR | PDF | Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Also, Read: Bad Leadership Causes, Effects And Solutions In Nigeria. Besides the Big Three - Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, there are other macro and micro ethnic minorities in the country. << Air Plan Approval; Texas; New Source Review Updates for Project For citation see: http://www.cejiss.org/issue-detail/biafra-s-resurgence-state-failure-insecurity-and-separatist-agitations-in-nigeria. As a Nigerian, it is important to understand some basic things about the system of governance in Nigeria and why it is so. It was under the 1954 constitution that federal system of government was fully adopted. It is not surprising that Nigeria in its 55 years of political sojourn has tried different forms of federalism. Identities can be in terms of ethnicity, culture, religion and other differences," she says. Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. 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? The construct of federalism, which originates with the concept of intergovernmental relations, dates back to the Greek civilization. Full History of Nigerian Federalism. /F6 21 0 R The USA and Canada were formed with the above interest at heart. 3 0 obj Reasons For The Adoption Of Federalism In Nigeria. And this is one of the factors responsible for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. Rather there has been more challenges than benefits of this federal system. Nigeria and Ghana can not easily form a country chiefly because they are not geographically contiguous. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. Reasons for Federalism 3.1 Reasons for a federal order rather than separate states or secession 3.2 Reasons for preferring federal orders over a unitary state 4. Such arrangement would inter alia breed neglect, frustration and aggression; no thanks to the red-tape inherent in unitarism.