The Structure and Workings of Nigerian Federalism

Federalism is a system of government where power is shared between a central authority and component units (states or regions). Nigeria adopted federalism to manage its complex diversity.

a. Rationale for a Federal System

Nigeria opted for federalism for several reasons:

• Cultural Diversity: Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. Federalism allows these groups to maintain their identities.
• Size of the Country: Given Nigeria's large landmass, a unitary system would be inefficient for governance.
• Minority Protection: To prevent the domination of smaller ethnic groups by the majority.
• Proximity to Government: To bring government closer to the people at the local levels.
• Security: Pooling resources for a unified national defense.

b. Tiers of Government and their Relationship

Nigeria operates three tiers of government: Federal, State, and Local. Their powers are divided into lists:

• Exclusive List: Powers reserved for the Federal Government only (e.g., Defense, External Affairs, Currency, Mining).
• Concurrent List: Powers shared by both Federal and State Governments (e.g., Education, Health, Agriculture). In case of conflict, federal law prevails.
• Residual List: Powers left exclusively for the States (e.g., Chieftaincy matters, local markets).

c. Creation of States

States were created to address minority fears and promote development:

• 1963: Mid-Western Region was created from the Western Region.
• 1967: Yakubu Gowon created 12 states to replace the four regions.
• 1976: Murtala Muhammed increased the states to 19.
• 1987: Ibrahim Babangida created 2 states (Akwa Ibom and Katsina), making 21.
• 1991: Babangida created 9 more states, totaling 30.
• 1996: Sani Abacha created 6 additional states, reaching the current 36 states.

d. Problems and Solutions

Nigerian federalism faces several challenges:

• Revenue Allocation: Disagreements over the formula for sharing national wealth (Derivation vs. Need).
• Census: Controversy over population figures, which affect representation and revenue.
• Inter-ethnic Conflicts: Rivalry for political power and resources.
• State Creation Agitations: Continuous demand for more states.

Solutions: The Federal Character Principle was introduced to ensure equitable representation in government appointments. Other measures include the use of the NYSC scheme and the National Sports Festival to promote unity.