Anomalies of the Nigerian Federalism

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to highlight the irregularities inherent in the Nigerian Federalism right from the time of its formation that have made it extremely difficult to function properly. Nigeria’s Federalism is a classic case of federalism from above. It was a direct British imposition. Unfortunately, some of the most outstanding political leaders involved in the independence struggle, representing their ethnic groups, were against it. Also the various ethnic groups in Nigeria represent different stages of culture and possess some deep rooted cultural differences as well as sentiments which make it an uphill task to perceive things from the same angle. In fact, there seems to be some kind of stiff competition among them. Resultantly, it will be natural to allow them or even encourage them to develop at their own pace and pattern. It is thus apposite that if the stability of Nigeria’s Federalism is desired, then certain drastic measures must be taken so as to restructure it. The methodology of this paper is a critical analysis and conceptual clarification of the trends of political events in Nigeria from the amalgamation in 1914 to the contemporary period.