APPRAISAL OF THE QUEST FOR RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIAN FEDERALISM

Abstract

Nigeria is a federation with numerous ethnic and diverse nationalities numbering about 250, and a very large population of more than 200 million people. Even though federalism does not have a single recipe for its practice, it must however, meet certain features and must be propagated to achieve its best practice and to achieve the set goals in a federation. This article to x-rayed the factors bedeviling the Nigerian federalism and the quest for restructuring same, the challenges of restructuring in Nigeria and the benefits of restructuring. It was suggested that some items such as the police, oil mining and exploration, incorporation, business name, etc., should be moved from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List. Again, the current sharing formula should be jettisoned, rotational presidency and governors, amongst other things. It is hoped that the socio-economic and political sphere of Nigeria would witness tremendous growth and improvement if the recommendations are carried out.