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. Political institutions, Kinship ties, Origin of towns and their cultural antecedents are enriched with similar history. 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. There are increased interstate conflicts due to federalism. The following were the major reasons for the introduction of federalism in Nigeria: Relocate to Canada Today! 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. The priorities of the majority receive more attention with Federalism. Also see: Differences between Cross-offers and counter-offers, five reasons for the adoption of federalism in nigeria. Many of them are similar, but there are also several which are not. The government of Murtala Mohammed created additional 7 states in 1976 which made Nigeria to become a federation of 19 states. Different states also have different laws making it hard to enforce law on visitors who had moved in the state. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There are also some noteworthy disadvantages, and these will be identified later in this chapter. It is the result of the highly established units which can usually be absent. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Although there are challenges to face in any type of government, most people who live in a federalist system say that they wouldnt change the structure whatsoever. Here are just a few of the craziest laws you can find in the U.S. right now. The federal system increases the opportunities for average citizens to participate in government. So, our federalist form of government has several advantages, such as protecting us from tyranny, dispersing power, increasing citizen participation, and increasing effectiveness, and disadvantages, such as supposedly protecting slavery and segregation, increasing inequalities between states, states blocking national . In my view, federalism is a good system for Nigeria. Thus, it is often said that only rich countries can afford it. Rt. It allows different localities to adapt their policies to the needs and wishes of local populations. 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. If this structure was not available, then you would get cookie-cutter regulations that may not apply to some geographical areas. 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. There is a need to establish institutions for the study offederalism in Nigeria and to reduce ethnic and ideological biases in research on Nigerian federalism. 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. must. /Type /XObject Federalism is very important in Nigeria because of the size of our population. IvyPanda, 23 Nov. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/. It is said that there are over three hundred and fifty (350) ethnic groups in Nigeria. 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 . Over the course of the nation's history it is clear that there are many advantages to federalism. His answer was that federalism a political system permitting a large . The pros and cons of federalism provide evidence that it is usually better for a society and nation if there is a system of power sharing available for the government. The definition of federalism is straightforward: it is the federal principle or system of government. Federalism promotes efficiency of government: distribution of power between the state and nation provides division of work and specialization of functions. It means that the sovereign unit (Centre) and local units . The Pros of Federalism. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. The powers that exist between the federal and state government also depends on the constitution. 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. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. Present Nigeria was formed by the amalgamation of two regions which many see as a big influence in why federalism was later adopted by the British and later on by Nigerian leaders as at the time of independence. State governments have the freedom to adopt policies which may not be followed nationally or by any other state. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you Presently, Nigeria has a strong center and a weak component. Brazil is the only federation practising this form of federalism. 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 . There are times when blocking the implementation of federal law is beneficial. This assessment on Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages was written and submitted by your fellow Before the amalgamation of the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate in 1914, there was nothing like Nigeria. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." The system causes government to have control of itself because of great rivalry of power between the state and the nation. Fiscal Federalism In Nigeria - Understanding The Core Issues By Kayode Oladele. The central government can sometimes overlook these differences and adopt policies which cater to the majority. 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. What are the negative effects of federalism? It does not store any personal data. 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. Federalism encourages innovation in governing. Your email address will not be published. That means some people in the U.S. must follow four different sets of laws. It is difficult to enforce law on criminals because of federalism. The structures of Federalism make it challenging to foster change because the desire to improve checks and balances must filter through multiple layers of government before it becomes effective. Some governments are trying it, while others or not. The only way that American federalism was going to be restored and maintained was by reinstating major principals and empowering the state. Federalism was further adopted because the developed countries from which Nigeria borrowed democracy practice federalism. The competitive federalism model is a theoretical construct advanced by READ ALSO: History of democracy in Nigeria from 1960. Government Structure and Systems of Government Federal Government. People feel close to their communities. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr Federalism is an efficient process. What are the main functions of federal and state governments? Importance 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. (2019, November 23). On the contrary it has also been suggested that is created more diversity and conflict for the nation to grapple with. As of 2012, the population was about 166.2 million but this has increased to 200.96 million in 2019. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Written constitution are mostly rigid, with cumbersome amendment procedure, which leads to the problem of how to easily amend it to make it suit changing needs and time. As a Nigerian, it is important to understand some basic things about the system of governance in Nigeria and why it is so. November 23, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/federalism-2/. Because each community can create their own set of laws and rules in a system of federalism (especially in the United States), then the structure can create unwanted competition for resources that seeks to limit some demographics. In 1939 sir Bernard Bourdillion made a serious constitutional proposal which concluded having regional councils with a central council in Lagos. Federalism is a mixed form of government where there is a general government always known as the central or federal government and regional governments which could be provincial or states governments. 2. Also see: Differences between 1960 and 1963 constitution of Nigeria, reasons for federal system of government in nigeria. Many women only make 80% for doing the same job that men do when they look at their salary. There is no way to obtain runaway power in this structure unless voters approve of that process first. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." 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. Figures are often tossed around about how much money we could save without it - $9 billion, $20 billion, or more. 3. Federalism in Nigeria is one of the most expensive. 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. Required fields are marked *. Some choose to use a central system of government that regulates the entire country. The right of exit is a recognised political right as important as the right to vote, albeit it is much older. The desire to have war powers was also one of the reasons why national government power was increased since 1788. This process can create positive or negative results. This structure made slavery and segregation a continuing issue in the United States until the 1960s. And even now we can see the population of Nigeria compared to other countries in Africa. These include: 1. This regional arrangement gave rise to ethnic sentiment and political struggle for the center among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Jega, A. Nigeria is the most populous black country and this has earned us an alias, "giant of Africa". Most of the democratic countries in the world today use this method of governing, including Australia, Canada, India, and the United States. Because there are multiple layers of government working cooperatively with one another in a federalist system, it can be challenging at times for specific communities to know where they can receive assistance. We do hope that you find this article helpful. Kayode Oladele. 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. Needs/Reasons For The Adoption Of Federalism In Nigeria For example, in countries with states that speak different languages, regional schools can provide multilingual education. 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 better tackles regional and local problems and needs. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Download. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. 19 more states were created in 1976 in order to score more political advantage by the Murtala-Obasanjo regime against those that favor General Yakubu Gowon. IvyPanda. Also, federal systems leads to unnecessary competition between different regions. THE BENEFITS OF FEDERALISM. Another cogent reason for federalism in Nigeria is the fear of marginalization. The Benefits of Federalism Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. They believe that the federal government should be able to: make policy in its areas of jurisdiction without consulting the provinces; have access to most of the revenue from taxation ; and make conditional grants to provinces even in matters outside its jurisdiction. Knowing who is responsible for specific issues can make it difficult for any aid to make it to its intended destination. In a Unitary system, the minority states cannot govern the entire region which is controlled by majority. Increasing Citizen Participation - By not centralizing all power into the hands of a Possess power would probably give them the voice to air out their grievances. Instead of designing a government that should unite the different elements in Nigeria, the colonialists fully adopted federal stem of government in 1954 and created greater regional autonomy. It can also make the state governments selfish and concerned only about their own regions progress. *$( %2%(,-/0/#484.7*./. C This means that the citizens always have political responsibility to both governments who also secure their rights in the country. This is IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. Do you know the reasons for federalism in Nigeria? Have you ever wondered why Nigeria is practicing a federal system of government and not any other system? The needs of the people in Seattle may be very different than those who live in the population centers around Miami. 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. In Nigerian democracy, there is a federalist system of government. But besides these three major tribes, there are over 350 other smaller tribes with diverse languages and dialects. Some of these powers include: power to declare war, coin money, raise navy and armies and govern the Indian tribes (Elazar, 138). Citizens of various provinces may have different aspirations, ethnicity and follow different cultures. Read Also:Importance of Indigenization in Nigeria. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Nigeria as a result was divided into three provinces. They also have implied powers which are necessary in delegation of power in the nation. Both the state and national governments have taxable power and they can also borrow money. In conclusion, federalism has both advantages and disadvantages. 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