In 1954, the nigerian founding fathers opted for a federal system of government despite its inherent challenges in a pluralistic society. Federalism and the accommodation of diversity in nigeria. Challenges and prospects table of content title page approval page dedication acknowledgment abstract table of content chapetr one 1. A nation building strategy for nigerias federalism nanji umoh, phd and ezekiel major adeyi, phd department of political science, faculty of social sciences, university of jos, jos, nigeria abstract federalism was adopted for nigeria to effectively manage her multinationalities through negotiations and compromises. While large british colonies like india and the sudan had a single administrative. This immediately raises a number of the complexities that beset this subject and that mechanistic discussions of it tend to ignore or obscure.
This work will adopt the use of secondary source of data as the main method of data collection. Another is the nature of prolonged military rule in nigeria. As a result of the nature of the multiethnicity of nigeria, it has brought about the issue of minorities which has constituted to one of the major problems militating against the development of the nation. Nigeria and the challenges of nation building in the 21st. The problems of nationbuilding and national development in nigeria would start to receive proper attention only under a truly federal system of government and. Pdf on jan 1, 2006, john anyanwu and others published the problems and prospects of fiscal federalism and nationbuilding in nigeria find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. These actions were what led to the development of federalism in nigeria today. Continuing quest for stability and nationbuilding explores the nature of and the debate over a number of recurrent issues, such as the origins of nigerian federalism, the number of state units in the federal system, fiscal issues, political parties, distributional issues, and intergovernmental relations in nigerian federalism since the establishment of. Nation building is about building the tangible and intangible threads that hold a political entity together and gives it a sense of purpose. The crises are very severing such that they culminate in a strong force being mounted on the federation with tendency to disintegrate the country. In fact, the problem is sufciently complex that no mere denition will sufce.
The challenges of the 21st century ncir monograph series babangida, ibrahim badamosi on. The topical issues that have driven nigeria s political economy include constitution and constitutionalism, democracy, the national question, civilmilitary relations, federalism, state and nation building, local governance, leadership, the role of traditional rulers, the economy and religion. Federalism, nigerian federal constitution and the practice. Problems of federalism in nigeria and solutions information. Wayne alderman building our nation building self confidence by norman vincent peale street children and their contribution to. This research is basically designed to ascertain and analyze the various problems of federalism and nationbuilding in nigeria. To discover if the operation of true federalism in nigeria could help in tackling the problems. The cultural background to the crisis, african affairs 66 january 1967. Nigeria is experiencing various challenges to its continued existence as a single nationstate.
These traditions produced regional rivalry and conflict that were entrenched in the nigerian polity by the processes of consolidation and nationbuilding. Pdf federalism and the challenges of nation building in. Federalism became fashionable in the british commonwealth at the end of the second world war when the governmental system was promoted as a means of nationbuilding. Nationbuilding is about building the tangible and intangible threads that hold a political entity together and gives it a sense of purpose. To be sure, in the immediate postcolonial period, some african leaders held federalism in contempt as a system that would exacerbate tribalism and encourage secessionist tendency. The system was seen not as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve some political and economic objectives, good government, as well as national unity, especially in deeply divided. It was the belief of nigerian nationalists that federalism will foster nation building in nigeria, but fiftyeight years down the line as an independent nation, nigeria. Finally, appropriate measures for nation building to empower federal structure in the future. Federalism and national unity optimising the richness of. We take just a few for constraints of time and space. After independence, this regional rivalry became the basis for triggering the conflicts between economic and ethnic areas present in nigerias federal system and for creating more states in attempts to accommodate various group interests. Nationbuilding, federalis federalism and nationalism nation and nationalism pdf nation and nationalism nation into state. Abstract this research is basically designed to ascertain and analyze the various problems of federalism and nationbuilding in nigeria. In a pluralist society like nigeria, challenges pitfalls of nation building are enormous.
Federalism in africa does not have a positive image. This broad view of nation building, then, is a deliberate political and cultural process of constructing or moulding a common nation out of hitherto independent political and ethnocultural groups or tribes. In order to discuss federalism at a theoretical level at least, it is necessary to dene it. Click the download now button to get the complete project work instantly. Abstract the problem of federalism and the associated crises of national integration in nigeria raise serious alarm. The interethnic rivalry in nigeria has constantly disrupt development in the country. This research work xrayed federalism in nigeria as the only basis upon which nigeria can remain united despite its diversity and peculiar conditions in which the different tribal groups live in and proffers solutions to the challenges of the practice. Nation building is thus a complex and dynamic process with ideological, philosophical, political, socioeconomic and cultural dimensions.
Federalism and national integration about open academic. Explain the relevance of citizenship education nation building in nigeria importance of citizenship education to nigerian student here you will know the impact of this subject on the future of our nation. The paper sets out to find out how federalism in nigeria has helped in nation building or national integration. Federalism is a means of ensuring peace, stability and mutual accommodation in countries that have territorially concentrated differences of identity, ethnicity, religion or language. Its distinctive feature, exemplified in the founding example of modern federalism by the. Eme and others published federalism and nation building in nigeria find, read and cite all the research. Colonial rule divided nigeria into north and south with different land tenure systems, local government administration, educational systems, and judicial systems. There were ijaws, igbos, urhobos, itsekiris, yorubas.
Currently there are only three established federal political systems among the 54 states in africa. Federalism can be seen as a system of government in which governmental powers that exist in a country are shared between central government and other component units i. The feature of nigerian federalism could only be better understood by a reproduction of the definition of the concept federalism, professor nwabueze in his definition, defined federalism as an arrangement whereby governmental powers within a country are shared between a national, country wide government and a number of regional governments. Download pdf re inventing federalism in nigeria free.
Federalism and the challenges of nationbuilding in nigeria. Oct 16, 2009 nation building is thus a complex and dynamic process with ideological, philosophical, political, socioeconomic and cultural dimensions. However, be that as it may, to daniel 2007, it means several varieties of political arrangement in nigeria to which the term federalism has properly been applied. It is thus expected that she should be one of the most prosperous nations in. This is because federalism is presented as a panacea in organizing distinct political identities under a state. See below for the abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, list of appendices, list of abbreviations and chapter one. Thus, one also may find a definition according to which federalism in its broadest sense marks a multilayer or pluralistic concept of social and political life. Nigeria an experiment in nation building download ebook pdf. Its record of success is patchy while its failures seem manifest. A nationbuilding strategy for nigerias federalism nanji umoh, phd and ezekiel major adeyi, phd department of political science, faculty of social sciences, university of jos, jos, nigeria abstract federalism was adopted for nigeria to effectively manage her multinationalities through negotiations and compromises. However, the evident paucity of successful contemporary federal systems must not be. May 16, 2015 it was after the bitter experience of the civil war, that nigeria made any serious efforts at nation building. This research is basically designed to ascertain and analyze the various problems of federalism and nation building in nigeria. It is important to note that nigerian federalism has.
After independence, this regional rivalry became the basis for triggering the conflicts between economic and ethnic areas present in nigeria s federal system and for creating more states in. Pdf nationbuilding is about building the tangible and intangible threads that hold a political entity together and gives it a sense of purpose. In this sense, nation building is synonymous with national integration. Nigeria is a state populated by a plethora of ethnic, historical, religious and culturally diverse people, endowed with a vast range of natural, mineral and human resources. The historical legacies of colonial rule create some challenges for nation building in nigeria. The problems of nationbuilding and national development in nigeria would start to receive proper attention only under a truly federal system of government and the great potentials of the country would be best realised within the framework of true federalism. The shifting symbolic foundations of american nationalism financial acct2 by norman h. After independence, this regional rivalry became the basis for triggering the conflicts between economic and ethnic areas present in nigeria s federal system and for creating more states in attempts to accommodate various group interests. Federalism in nigeria refers to the devolution of selfgovernance by the west african nation of nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the federal government. Thus, in this article, we shall be dealing with the problems of nigeria federalism. To ensure reliability, some hypotheses were posited and there are first, the problems facing nigeria federalism and nation building. The persistent religious and ethnic tensions which often. The latest entry is nepal which is currently looking at the possibility of federalism after the end of the maoist insurgency. It is against this background that this paper considers federalism and nation building in contemporary federal republic of nigeria.
Challenges of fiscal federalism in nigeria and solutions. This is because federalism as a system of government emanates from the. May 15, 2015 in a pluralist society like nigeria, challenges pitfalls of nation building are enormous. But all these emphasis was only placed on just one aspect of nation building national integration leaving the others. Pdf the problems and prospects of fiscal federalism and. Federalism, nation building, national conference, nigeria, restructuring date ofsubmission. The problems of nation building and national development in nigeria would start to receive proper attention only under a truly federal system of government and the great potentials of the country would be best realised within the framework of true federalism. Finally, appropriate measures for nationbuilding to empower federal structure in the future. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, is the scourge of tribalism.
Nigeria is experiencing various challenges to its continued existence as a single nation state. The persistent religious and ethnic tensions which often culminate in intergroup violence have assumed a worrisome dimension since the. Federalism is the mixed or compound mode of government, combining a general government the central or federal government with regional governments provincial, state, cantonal, territorial or other subunit governments in a single political system. Federalism, especially in large or diverse countries, can also improve service delivery and democratic resilience, ensure decisions are made at. Given the territorially delineated cleavages abounding in nigeria and the historical legacy of divisions among ethnic groups, regions, and sections, the federal imperative was so fundamental that even military governmentscharacteristically unitarian, hierarchical, and centralistattached importance to the continuation of a federal system of government. Federalism and nationbuilding in nigeria longdom publishing sl. Click download or read online button to get nigeria an experiment in nation building book now. It is the general agreement of the people of nigeria as history has shown, therefore to remain under a federal structural system, being the only basis upon which nigeria can remain united, despite its diversity and the peculiar conditions under which the different tribal communities live in the country 3. Nigeria an experiment in nation building download ebook. Given the territorially delineated cleavages abounding in nigeria and the historical legacy of divisions among ethnic groups, regions, and sections, the federal imperative was so fundamental that even military governmentscharacteristically unitarian, hierarchical, and centralistattached importance to the continuation of a federal system of. They acquire the ability to explain, analyze, interact, evaluate, defend their position, and. Oyedele, federalism in nigeria in hassan saliu ed issues in contemporary political economy of nigeria ilorin, sally and associates, 1999 p.
The challenges of federalism and its impact on nation. Nigeria and the challenges of nation building in the 21st century ele samson department of history, faculty of arts and social sciences, gombe state university, gombe, nigeria email. Ethnic diversity, democratization and nationbuilding in. Eme and others published federalism and nation building in nig eria find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. This paper makes a critical analysis of nigerias federalism in the context of unabated frequent call for resource control and the resultant crisis in the niger delta region of nigeria. Eme and others published federalism and nation building in nigeria find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. To inquire into the impact of religions and ethnic loyalties and national integration in nigeria.
The sixth and final wave of federalism involves former unitary states now adopting the federal format. After independence, this regional rivalry became the basis for triggering the conflicts between economic and ethnic areas present in nigerias federal system and for creating more states in. This is done by examining the evolution of nigerias federalism. In this compelling new work, suberu examines the profound political contradictions that make up nigeria, a nation whose leaders have constantly tinkered with a colonial federal legacy that sought to balance the countrys three major ethnic groups. To ensure reliability, some hypotheses were posited and there are first, the problems facing nigeria federalism and nationbuilding. Download the complete political science project topic and material chapter 15 titled federalism and national integration in nigeria. Federalism, nationbuilding, national conference, nigeria, restructuring date ofsubmission. May 1999 may 2007 nigeria returned to democratic rule on may 29, 1999, after about three decades of. Before we start discussing federalism in nigeria, it is pertinent to know what federalism really is. The evolution, development and practice of federalism in. This writer contends that the deeply flawed federal system in nigeria constitutes a grave threat to national integration, stability and development. Pdf federalism and the challenges of nation building in nigeria. Nigeria and the challenges of nation building in the 21st century.
Federalism, the constitution and resource control by itse sagay in the beginning, there was no nigeria. Sep 03, 2017 to ensure reliability, some hypotheses were posited and there are first, the problems facing nigeria federalism and nation building. The situation attracts growing interest and concern. Nation building is a concept that gained prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s when president julius kambarage nyerere of tanzania strongly advocated it for fragile postcolonial african states.
Its main proponents included such leaders of the american academic community as karl deutsch, charles tilly, and reinhard bendix. Nation building according to ndolo, 2005 citing eleazu 1977, nation building is the process of politically socialising the people into becoming good citizens of the political order and making the citizens feel they have a stake in the community worth fighting for. The paper traces the evolution of nigerias federalism through the colonial and postcolonial era to examine the influence of governance or the lack of it over the nationbuilding processes in. It is beset with crises of nation building and development, triggered by its refusal to confront the national question germane to its survival as a plural country. This period saw the promulgation of the reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction3rs. In spite of this confusion, we can still conceptualize federalism. Pdf federalism and nation building in nigeria researchgate. He explores the evolution of nigerian federalism through its various constitutional experiments. Its distinctive feature, exemplified in the founding example of modern federalism by the united states under the constitution of. The historical legacies of colonial rule create some challenges for nationbuilding in nigeria.
In nigeria, there are different and distinct ethnic groups brought together by colonization. Download pdf re inventing federalism in nigeria free online. There is the need for the federal government to end the present vertical revenue allocation formula so as to increase the percentage to lower governments in nigeria to strengthen their fiscal capacity and enable them play strong role in nation building. It was the belief of nigerian nationalists that federalism will foster nation building in nigeria, but.
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