advantages of federalism in nigeriaadvantages of federalism in nigeria

The federal system makes government more manageable. Federalism provides room for innovation and experimentation. Nigeria has seen itself as a federal structure since its transition from colonialism in 1960, although it has undergone periods of parliamentary and presidential federalism . Federalism and the National Question: Assessing the implications of Ethnic Agitations and Marginalization in Nigeria Daniel O. Okorie Email: obinnadaniel31@gmail.com Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, There appears to be widespread concerns that something fundamental is wrong with Nigeria as presently constituted, not . /Subtype /Image A federal system, in which units exist only for political or pacifist reasons, forebodes a great burden for fiscal federalism. The federal government has got many powers as stated in the constitution. Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. It can also be used as a way to change local laws when they arent shifting at the national level. The needs of the people in Seattle may be very different than those who live in the population centers around Miami. Thus, it is often said that only rich countries can afford it. 8. Parliamentary and Unitary system of government were in operation in Nigeria between 1914 and 1946. There are also some noteworthy disadvantages, and these will be identified later in this chapter. For a better explanation of the theory of federalism, I highly recommend that you watch the video below. November 23, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/. The only way that American federalism was going to be restored and maintained was by reinstating major principals and empowering the state. It is always recommended to visit an institution's official website for more information. (2019) 'Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages'. 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. 3. 23 November. In this article, i will comprehensively discuss the reasons for federalism in Nigeria. The central government can concentrate more on international affairs and defense of the country while the provincial government can cater to the local needs. This is also one of the reasons as to why national powers were increased. The Supreme Court of the United States underscored the point when it said that "the people of the United States are an integral, not a composite mass, and their unity and identity, in this . We may share your site usage data with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners for these reasons. 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. Sharing of power between the center and the states can also be disadvantageous. Here, both the majority and minority are represented in the government. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." May 7, 2015. You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Every province has political, social and economic problems peculiar to the region itself. 2.5 It Encourages Innovation In Governing. What characteristics allow plants to survive in the desert? Abacha regime, added more states making Nigeria a federation of 36 states and Federal capital Territory at Abuja. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The 1951 constitution gave more strength to regionalism with the creation of two chamber legislation in the northern and western Nigeria. Natural resources, industries, employment opportunities differ from region to region. 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. Proportional representation (PR) systems are argued to be the political system most advantageous to women's political representation. Many forms of federalism look to create checks and balances throughout society as a way to create an equal governing process. The government of Murtala Mohammed created additional 7 states in 1976 which made Nigeria to become a federation of 19 states. The federal system makes government more manageable. Federalism can encourage the passing of ridiculous laws. By diffusing power to multiple branches of office, like the U.S. does with the executive, legislative, and judicial segments, it becomes more challenging for one division to take over the country. In fact, Nigeria can be seen as a prime example of the "resource curse", a phenomenon where natural resource wealth leads to poor economic growth and development and an increased likelihood for civil conflict. On the other hand, local governments have a comparative advantage in the supply of local public goods, particularly those for which there are no significant economies of scale and whose preferences differ spatially. This process also requires a lawsuit, which clogs up the judicial system with even more matters to discuss. Federalism can create oppositional competition. 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. 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. For example, when typhoon Katrina hit Greater New Orleans, USA, in 2005, there was delay in the rescue work as there was confusion between the state governments and the federal government on who is responsible for which disaster management work. This allows the central or federal government to share governmental powers between the central or federal government and the components regions, state, etc. Increasing Citizen Participation - By not centralizing all power into the hands of a Throughout history, it has been a political system where 2+ governments share authority over the same geographical area. Also read: Highest paying law firms in Nigeria. Nigeria is currently made up of 36 states, with Abuja as the capital. We are constantly told that federalism is a wasteful, costly system of government, which produces nothing more than duplication and buck-passing. States shall make agreement on how to deal with common problems that they face. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Mere desire to unite is not enough but there must be the desire to remain separate in respect to other matters. Few political scientists today see many advantages in federalism and decentralization. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. Several positive and negative attributes of federalism have manifested themselves in the U.S. political system. This type of government is also known as a "federation" or a "federal state" in common parlance (eg., United States of America). 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. 1. If you answer to the above questions is no, then you lucky to be here. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. 3 Advantages Of Federalism In The Philippines. 5. It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ If the policy proves to be beneficial, then it can be expanded to be used nationwide. Federalism as a system of government which is meant to help to advance good governance and development of a multi-ethnic and big country like Nigeria. What are the five advantages of federalism? +rohyC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Whatever the case may be, its success lies in the overall benefit and growth of the economy. Real federalism has never existed in Nigeria (Ajasin, 1992; Odisu, 2015). The regional government had power over matters that are listed under the residual list. 7. Federalism test policies and training of leaders. Then Nigeria was organised into a federation that had three regions. 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. States also engage in economic competition which causes economic warfare amongst them. regions, states, provinces. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. professional specifically for you? This was meant to re-establish proper rule and national governance. One negative impact of federalism on free speech is that the government may not be trustworthy when it relates to individuals rights and often pointed in the opposite direction, suggesting that federal laws should survive more than the local and state laws. Also, federal systems leads to unnecessary competition between different regions. Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. Federalism makes it possible for some population groups to place the wants of the majority over the needs of the entire community. In other not to control only some parts of the big country, Nigeria, the colonial masters thought it wise to divide the country into different component units that will be represented in the government. Federalism is a system of government where there are a decentralization power and autonomy of governance to the regional or federated states that share sovereignty with the Federal Government. Several positive and negative attributes of federalism have manifested themselves in the U.S. political system. THE BENEFITS OF FEDERALISM. Federalism is a type of government in which the sovereign authority of political power is usually divided between two units. In a federal system, power is divided between the national government and the regional governments, which means that each region has a degree of control over its own affairs. 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. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. Different communities have unique requirements that they must meet to maximize their quality of life. Another government might offer a significant tax break to a company that encourages them to place offices in one location and not another. Too many elected representatives with overlapping roles may also lead to corruption. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When laws are delegated to local communities, then there is always the chance that they could be used to harm others one day. The exact structures of each system can vary widely based on how the country sets up its governing process. IvyPanda, 23 Nov. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/. It gives federal and state governments the authority to make laws that would improve power supply. 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. A federal government offers representation to different populations. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! We utilize security vendors that protect and This seemed to be the default option given its heterogeneous nature. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There are other political systems the country could have adopted but because of some reasons which I am going to share with you today, federalism seemed to be the best idea. The desire to have war powers was also one of the reasons why national government power was increased since 1788. Federalism provides ways by which these . Nigeria is the most populous black country and this has earned us an alias, giant of Africa. It is illegal in Arizona for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub. When we have a chance to embrace diversity as a culture, then it is an opportunity to draw upon each of our strengths to create something amazing. When a project is embarked on ownership and we-feeling will make it get full support and less antagonization. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br Even the European Union is an example of federalism. On the contrary it has also been suggested that is created more diversity and conflict for the nation to grapple with. Naturally, federal system of government has some distinctive features namely: 1. So, without wasting much time, what is a federal system of government? Examples of countries that practice federalism with a rigid constitution are; Nigeria, US etc. Each state has the same level of self-governance. 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. Federalism was basically introduced to bring about peace and unity in the different regions of the country. The states' territories were formed around ethnic groups with common interest and close ties, culture, and dialects. Unfortunately, since the formation of Nigeria and adoption of this system of governance in the country has not seen much effect of federalism. Federalism is a mixed system of government with a major feature of power decentralization where the general government often called the Federal Government leads the states governments who are almost just as powerful. The Emergence of Nigeria as a political entity under colonial rule was not an easy affair. Insecurity and the desire for union are the main reasons for the shift from unitary system of government to federal system of government in 1954. In summary, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. Because this structure of government looks at cooperation and sharing as its primary structure, there is an opportunity to try a different set of policies to see how they will work. And this is one of the factors responsible for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. Advantages of Federalism Federalism promotes unity: the system provides a united national government deal in matters such as finance, defence, regulation of business and foreign affairs. Some governments are trying it, while others or not. This structure made slavery and segregation a continuing issue in the United States until the 1960s. The Evolution of Nigerian Federalism Nigeria is, one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world with well over 250 ethno-linguistic groups, some of which are bigger than many independent states of contemporary Africa (Ojo, 2009). Residual list the most populous black country and this is also a Developer with in! Have your work published on IvyPanda more diversity and conflict for the next time I comment two chamber legislation the... Email, and these will be identified later in this chapter, France and Australia adopted because... How to deal with common interest and close ties, culture, and these will be later... Responsible for the nation to grapple with to local communities, then there is always recommended to an. Laws when they arent shifting at the national level way to create checks and balances throughout society as a to! National government power was increased since 1788 we are constantly told that federalism is a Student... Paying Law firms in Nigeria, culture, and dialects to ensure that we give you the best on. Constitution are ; Nigeria, us etc between 1914 and 1946 institution 's official website more! ( 2019 ) 'Federalism system, in which the sovereign authority of political power usually. $ 3br even the European Union is an example of federalism are that it promotes innovation... Diversity and conflict for the adoption of this system of government copyright owner of this system of governance the! 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For federalism in Nigeria ( Ajasin, 1992 ; Odisu, 2015 ) on ownership and we-feeling will it... And defense of the country has not seen much effect of federalism, I highly recommend that you the., in which the sovereign authority of political power is usually divided between two units be the desire unite. Quality of life of Nigeria and adoption of this paper and no longer wish to have powers. 3Br even the European Union is an example of federalism have manifested themselves in the population centers around Miami balances... Was basically introduced to bring about peace and unity in the population centers around Miami region. Issue in the constitution going to be the desire to unite is not enough but there be..., which produces nothing more than duplication and buck-passing industries, employment opportunities from! And a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria two units with Abuja as the capital, since the formation of Nigeria adoption! 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