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In this article, I will elucidate and discuss with references the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. +roiF9_? AK ku nh4P9\ }}31Ik "V mk@G~ . $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? federalism, a heavily coercive effort by a nondemocratic centralizing power to put together a multinational state, some of the components of which had previously been independent states. In the words of Richards, regionalism was introduced to strengthen unity in diversity. By and large, it is the nature of the relationship of the federal and state governments that determines whether a state is federal or unitary. Dual federalism was dominant from the 1790s until the 1930s. Federalism therefore involves the linkage of individuals, groups and policies in lasting but limited union in such a way as to provide for the energetic pursuit of common goals while maintaining the respective integrities of all parties. Historical experience 3.2 2. /F6 21 0 R The crux of the matter is that the minorities fear the domination of the majorities, but federalism allows them some independent existence, and as such, their fears, both real and fancied, are allayed. To make mortgage industry standards more flexible and modernized, the proposed rule would remove the requirement that lenders and mortgagees register with HUD each branch office . The states' territories were formed around ethnic groups with common interest and close ties, culture, and dialects. Also, Read: Local Government In Nigeria : Definition, Functions, And Importance. It has severally been emphasized by both the Northern and Western politicians that God did not create Nigeria but the British. This allows the central or federal government to share governmental powers between the central or federal government and the components regions, state, etc. From that date, the concept of federalism incorporated the idea of patterned contact at two levels: at the governmental level between the participating units, and among the citizens of these different units (Dare, 1979:26). All rights reserved. Fear of insecurity and the desire for a Union Meaning of federalism? *$( %2%(,-/0/#484.7*./. C Also read: Highest paying law firms in Nigeria. This feature of federalism is widely believed to be a veritable framework for even and need-sensitive development. History of federal system of government in nigeria. 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. 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. 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. What were the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? /Length 14727 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. Nigeria and Ghana can not easily form a country chiefly because they are not geographically contiguous. The constitution must be rigid to avoid frequent and unnecessary changes. FOR CLIENTS OUTSIDE NIGERIA. 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. /Type /Page Put differently, revenue sharing has become a recurrent crisis factor in Nigeria. Other specific reasons for the increasing demand for decentralisation are: Central governments increasingly are finding that it is impossible for them to . In Nigeria, the main reason for the adoption of a federal arrangement was the sociological complexity of the society, its ethnic and geographical diversity. A large body of literature exists on Nigeria's fiscal federalism particularly with reference to revenue allocation. This is because most of the power (financial and. 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. Everybody would likely agree that the conscious awareness and awakening of the course of who is who invariably determines who gets what, perhaps when and how. Thus, Nigeria's federalism is not only complex but also hard to understand. Over the years the fiscal federalism in Nigeria has crystallised and remained . What a nice and educating document!We are grateful for this post. Academia.edu uses cookies to personalize content, tailor ads and improve the user experience. However, it is also fact that since independence Nigeria has promulgated several constitutions and that if Nigeria wanted an alternative system of government, she could have opted for it. 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 first military head of state, General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi for instance was interested in a unitary Nigeria and he scrapped federalism. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention ISSN (Online): 2319 7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 7714 www.ijhssi.org Volume 2 Issue 8 August. 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. As a heterogeneous state, Nigeria operates a federal structure which accommodates a Central government and sub-national, otherwise, state governments with several other municipal administrations; local government, therefore enabling a tripartite level of governance. ff>qsfN? There are Benin and Togo in between Ghana and Nigeria, two of the former British African colonies. Nigeria. The Emergence of Nigeria as a political entity under colonial rule was not an easy affair. The Plural nature of Nigeria. That notwithstanding, The origin and concept of federalism boasts of a very popular definition by an American scholar, K.C. five reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria explained. As one of the most effective frameworks for governing a pluralistic society, Nigeria adopted Federalism to manage her multi-ethnic state. ! /Height 235 Federalism And Intergovernmental Relations In Nigeria. In Nigeria, it could be argued that our federal system of government is the creation of British colonialism. The 1951 constitution gave more strength to regionalism with the creation of two chamber legislation in the northern and western Nigeria. It needs proper review so that the country can move forward as a nation. And this is one of the factors responsible for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. At the heart of these crises are weak democratic institutions, which are sustained by bad leadership and a culture of impunity. 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. Population of the country We can offhandedly list all of the reasons for the adoption of federal system in Nigeria. 7. Minority Marginalization 3.6 6. British North American colonies unite 3 Up to 1867, the colonies 4 of British North America had no political or geographical links. From the above explanation, one can rightly say that the constitution of Nigeria and United States of America are federal constitutions while the constitution of France and the Republic of Ireland are Unitary constitutions. Voter Turnout, Voting Behavior and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria By Professor Sakah Saidu Mahmud Kwara State University, Malete 1. 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. The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.8, no.2, . 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. In 1939 sir Bernard Bourdillion made a serious constitutional proposal which concluded having regional councils with a central council in Lagos. This was a period when long efforts were made to identify the legal relationships between the Leagues and the City States (Mogi, 1931:21). So for effective governance of a country of this big size, federalism has to be adopted. /Resources << These crises flow from issues such as fiscal federalism, corruption, credible elections, tribal politics, ethno-religious conflicts, and disdain for the rule of law. Manages And Maintains And Secures Nigeria. 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 . Northern Cameroons should remain with Northern Nigeria but Southern Cameroon should be granted autonomy with a legislature of its own. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. Prior to independence, it is believed that the British adopted federalism because it favored their interest. /F2 9 0 R +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Moreover, Federalism was the only solution to ensure peace and unity amongst the leaders and the citizens and that was why federalism was adopted into the Nigerian political system. What are the reasons Nigeria adopted the Federalism system of government in Nigeria? Your email address will not be published. 6 0 obj But besides these three major tribes, there are over 350 other smaller tribes with diverse languages and dialects. 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 To learn more, view ourPrivacy Policy. 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. It is also an undisputed fact that the Hausas and Yorubas fought Biafra to keep the unity of Nigeria. Unity of the country: 3.3 3. Adobe d C The leaders also were from different major tribes and also wanted a level of power. Rather there has been more challenges than benefits of this federal system. This is another reason for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. Also see: Historical constitutional development in Nigeria explained. Why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria, SEE REASONS HERE. This understanding is also in tune with that of Jinadu (1979:15), who insists that Federalism is usually viewed as a form of governmental and institutional structure, deliberately designed by political architects, to cope with the twin but difficult task of maintaining unity while also preserving diversity. It is no news, therefore, that the peoples of Nigeria are diverse in different respects culturally, historically, socially, religiously, educationally, industriously, and even philosophically. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. In Nigerias case, the tongues and tribes that made up Nigeria has one colonial history. Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. welcome, and thanks for reading us. 4 0 obj No doubt, the Ethnic, Religious and Geographical nature of Nigeria also contributed to the reason why federalism was adopted. The origin of federalism in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial era. ideology, federalism becomes the only solution to ensure peace and unity amongst the. The federal government however has occupied a very strong position vis--vis the State and Local government since the 1970's in Nigeria. Federalism in Nigeria can be traced to Sir Frederick Lord Lugard, when the Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated in 1914. Federalism was favoured among other systems of government in a bid to averting both fancied and real fear of domination among the minorities. Hon. Nigeria's independence was gotten and founded on the basis of a federalist system of Government. The political parties involved in the first republic were more formed on a regional basis. We can offhandedly list all of the reasons for the adoption of federal system in Nigeria. 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. Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. 1. Identities can be in terms of ethnicity, culture, religion and other differences," she says. For citation see: http://www.cejiss.org/issue-detail/biafra-s-resurgence-state-failure-insecurity-and-separatist-agitations-in-nigeria. The states were later increased to 30 states. Again, in 1967 twelve states were created to appease the interest of those clamoring for states and weaken the geo-political holds of Biafra. The federal system adopted in 1954 comprised a national government and three regional governments: Eastern, Northern, and Western. In the case of Nigeria - how the oil money will be (in)judiciously dealt with. Federalism in Nigeria. was federalism friendly and that gave rise to easy adoption of . Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation we are proud to nigeria our inherited country,god bless nigeria. 2) The Problem of Minorities: In Nigeria, there are majority groups and minority groups. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Roxy Horner biography: who is Jack Whitehalls girlfriend? 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 . 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). endobj The Babangida administration followed the same step and created 21 states and more local governments. 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. It established that the resources of a particular state is not totally owned by the federal government. In 1963 Midwestern region was created and Nigeria became a nation of four regions. /Type /XObject 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. It is on this footing, herewith, that one can properly understand the rational for, and theory of federalism, what and why certain trends theme up federal-state relations in Nigeria, and the features of federal-state relations in Nigeria. Excellent, thanks a lot f In a unitary constitution which opposes federal principles, everything belongs to the central government; the federating unit does not exist, let alone agitating for resource control. It will schock you to know Nigerias adoption of federalism was also in the interest of the leaders. @VF:8=|@5&/1df gbjtCoy(L5A,JCI1/'5DT8`A!UY*&wTN5[v;KXvH* 5:>}W^Bp_ ;R!&L %s\q'(], It advocates good governance and a participatory approach to constitutional review as the foundations for strong constitutionalism in Nigeria. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Required fields are marked *. A Policy Brief examining the actors, factors and dynamics of the agitations, questioning if the current agitation is another flash in the pan and if current responses are adequate to address the agitations for secession of Biafra from Nigeria. /Width 371 Federalism is a method of segregating powers so that the central and local governments are each within a domain, harmonizing and autonomous. Therefore, the problem with federalism in Nigeria is the mix-application or non-application of this clause especially as it has to do with power distribution (Awa, 1977). Stated reasons of the coup were prevailing gangsterism and disorder, corruption and nepotism in the civil government. Nigeria as a result was divided into three provinces. Federalism as a system of government has been approached with variegated definitions such that one might argue that there are much definitions of federalism as there are authors on the subject. In my view, federalism is a good system for Nigeria. The paper contends that unitary federalism in Nigeria is an imposition and extension of colonial and military entrenched inequalities in the Nigerian state. . Under this type, there exist a balkanization of formerly unitary state near disintegration and its diversities which progress to a state. There was just the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate. 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.