The federal system makes decision making more complex and difficult. The local governments could distribute resources first instead of relying on the national government like the island because of the availability of local resources. In 1963 Midwestern region was created and Nigeria became a nation of four regions. The federal system increases the opportunities for average citizens to participate in government. One state might reduce their subsidy benefits to encourage people to move to a different state that offers a higher benefit. While formulating policies, local needs, tastes and opinions are given due consideration by the state governments. The fear of ethnic groups overlapping regional boundaries and the loyalties of castes cutting of some extent across provincial political boundaries also encourage some groups to support wider federal unions. Federalism is an efficient process. or this it really helped me, Your email address will not be published. house of representatives and the Senate). As of 2012, the population was about 166.2 million but this has increased to 200.96 million in 2019. All names, acronyms, logos and trademarks displayed on this website are those of their respective owners. The case for federalism in Nigeria has been to accommodate and manage diversity while taking economic advantage of its sheer size and population to promote development. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. The availability of resources in a particular region and the need for that area to control the resources has also been seen as a reason for a federal system in Nigeria. In summary, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Your email address will not be published. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Nigeria's independence was gotten and founded on the basis of a federalist system of Government. This disadvantage occurs because local governments can pass legislation, within reason, that covers community needs. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Federal systems have at least two levels of government, the central level and a second level that includes territorial entities into which the country is divided, e.g. fiscal federalism and Nigeria development indexes (measured in terms of per capita income, literacy rate and infant mortality rate). +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ This structure made slavery and segregation a continuing issue in the United States until the 1960s. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government . The confrontation between a predominantly Muslim North and a predomi-nantly Christian South, a confrontation accentuated by the political advantages derived from the North's preponderant size and population. This process is usually a healthy way to help keep households safe no matter where they are in the country. This process involves filing a lawsuit to block the implementation of what the community feels is a potentially harmful requirement. V(B8eDK@sx AK hG~ u;6DV,pwP# _ O4C sR 8_yC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ What are the advantages of federalism in Nigeria? November 23, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/. So, what are the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? Why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria, SEE REASONS HERE. 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. /Subtype /Image Sometimes, there can be overlapping of work and subsequent confusion regarding who is responsible for what. %PDF-1.5 The Founders of this country identified several reasons for creating a federalist government: To evade tyrannical rule THE BENEFITS OF FEDERALISM. Many forms of federalism look to create checks and balances throughout society as a way to create an equal governing process. Endogenous (De)centralization The key intuition of fiscal federalism theory is that the benefits of decentralization are positively correlated with the geographic As I have already explained, Nigeria is an amalgamation of three different regions with beliefs and customs. It can also be used as a way to pass ridiculous laws as a way to make a political statement, discourage tourism, or some other specific result. The state and the nation always evade responsibility especially when it comes to dealing with environmental issues such as cleaning up of Great lakes. Federalism promotes unity: the system provides a united national government deal in matters such as finance, defence, regulation of business and foreign affairs. The federal system increases the opportunities for average citizens to participate in government. It should be noted that the Federal Military Government had earlier by fiat taken proceeds from offshore prospecting and drilling activities directly under federal eminent domain. The local governments can decide to fight the existence of some specific national laws by going through the justice system of the country. States also engage in economic competition which causes economic warfare amongst them. BREAKING: Finally, Fayose former Ekiti state governor resigns from PDP, Jordan Nyesom: Wikes Son Was Shot Dead in US? 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. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. Download. For the United States, there are local, country, and state governing authorities which all have a unique set of laws and regulations for people to follow. 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. Although three major tribes (Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo) have been selected as the main Nigerian languages, the need to avoid drowning the voices of the minority groups in the stream of the major groups is both glaring and necessary for peace to reign. This was one of the major reasons for the creation of the newer and smaller states after the independence. The structure of this government can create inefficiencies in the system because the national government might not like the way the local officials choose to oversee their communities. Federalism provides ways by which these . Finally, in a model of cooperative federalism with indepen-dent spheres of government, all orders of government enjoy autonomous and equal status and coordinate their policies horizontally and vertically. Abacha regime, added more states making Nigeria a federation of 36 states and Federal capital Territory at Abuja. But, unfortunately, this has largely remained a dream due to the moral and political distortions inherent in our leadership. The federal system makes government more manageable. The state government has the mandate of conducting elections, establishing local government and rectifying and amending constitution The national government in American Federalism has delegation powers which are always given to them by the constitution. Possess power would probably give them the voice to air out their grievances. Federalism encourages a system of cooperation. Live, Study and Work in Canada. In the EU, the members of the upper houses in the government are not elected or appointed, but they serve as delegates of their respective governments. And this is one of the factors responsible for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. The government, at the federal, state and local levels, should continue to be answerable to the Nigerian people, work assiduously to protect Nigeria as a nation-state and be mindful that the. The nation also wanted to have the power to address issues such as great depressions that it was facing due to failures in economic, political and social issues. This helped to solve the problem of marginalization in the leadership. Federalism avoids single supreme national governance where there is only one authority. That will help you to understand more about a rigid and written constitution. This has nexus with the particular sharing formula adopted. 3 What are advantages and disadvantages of Constitution? IvyPanda. The U.S. government threatened to pull funding from the cities choosing this action, and then filed suit against them in an effort to try getting compliance. That means some people in the U.S. must follow four different sets of laws. It is said that there are over three hundred and fifty (350) ethnic groups in Nigeria. The government demands to have war powers were created by tragedies of modern wars. Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. The federal system makes government more manageable. Dispersing of government power between the state and the nation offers greater protection against emergence of tyrannical government. On the other hand; a constitution is unitary when there are created by the law made by the central legislature and their existence depends upon the government to control, supervision of the central government. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. People feel close to their communities. The centralization of Nigeria's fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. When a government is closer to its citizens, then it can provide a responsive solution when there are citizen needs, emergency situations, or changes that are necessary in the structure of laws. Hence, earnings and wealth are unevenly distributed. The states' territories were formed around ethnic groups with common interest and close ties, culture, and dialects. Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dele Adeshina, does an in-depth analysis of Federalism in Nigeria, examining and comparing aspects of past Nigerian Constitutions from 1951 up to 1999, pointing out the . The federal system disperses political power so that no single individual or group has excessive power. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. There are efficiencies to consider with delegation that make this governing structure such an inviting option. This is so because where federal principles apply, the various ethnic groups that cannot or dont form majority to produce large part may have the opportunity of governing themselves within their federating unit controlled by them. What are the main functions of federal and state governments? Nigeria as a country occupies a large geographical area and what she has as singular states in Nigeria is the equivalent of the entirety of some other African countries. 2.3 It Creates Protection Against Tyranny. Seen in its entirety, all stakeholders have to brace up their resolve for national rebirth as we all . 1 What are the advantages of federalism in Nigeria? Moreover, it is important to note that most of the ethnic groups in Nigeria had strong political inter-group relationship before colonial rule. What Are The Advantages Of Federalism? This is to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging. Hon. Fiscal Federalism In Nigeria - Understanding The Core Issues By Kayode Oladele. 10 Best Nursery/Primary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Top 5 Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. In some areas where major communal or other social antagonism cuts across territorial boundaries, ranging through all the federating units, communities or classes have been driven to seek to protect or strengthen their position by inter-territorial union. Federalism can be structured to benefit only the rich. Possessing a lot of power will enable them have the authority to raise navy and armies that could control tragedies from happening by protecting the nation. 5. Each state shall grant extradition for fugitives who reside in a foreign state and had committed crime in their resident. >> They also have implied powers which are necessary in delegation of power in the nation. 2. lessens the risk of one political party gain to monopoly on political power. 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 is the result of the highly established units which can usually be absent. Common national, racial, religious, cultural linguistic or social ties have often contributed to the unification of political unit. Here, both the majority and minority are represented in the government. Here, both the majority and minority are represented in the government. Tastes and opinions are given due consideration by the state and the nation usually be absent save name. 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