A Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Ilorin, Professor Emmanuel Ojo, has strongly advocated for Nigeria to adopt a non-centralised federal system to overcome its persistent political and economic stagnation. Delivering the university’s 291st Inaugural Lecture, Ojo argued that the nation’s current federal arrangement is deeply flawed, describing the 1999 Constitution as a “defective” imposition by the military oligarchy that has resulted in “federal immobilism.”
He maintained that for Nigeria to achieve sustainable development and national integration, its federal architecture must be properly restructured. The core of his proposal is the urgent devolution of power, which would empower state and local governments to become politically vibrant, legislatively strong, and financially resilient. In this proposed system, states would transform into self-confident centres of governance, commanding the respect and loyalty of their citizens. He stressed, “The earlier this is done, the better for the polity. Local governments need to be reanimated.”
Professor Ojo went further to suggest that a “radical way out” of the constitutional crisis is the drafting of a completely new Federal Constitution. To achieve this, he proposed that Nigeria must organise a Referendum, a Constitutional Convention, or a Constituent Assembly whose members should be democratically elected.
Beyond structural changes, the don urged Nigerians to embrace a “federal spirit” in all aspects of national life. He believes this would foster justice and equity while effectively curbing ethnic tensions and chauvinism.
Addressing economic aspects of federalism, Ojo called for the outright repeal of the Land Use Act. He argued that the current system, which centralises the ownership of solid mineral resources under the federal government, essentially “robs Peter to pay Paul.” Instead, he proposed that communities naturally endowed with mineral resources should be allowed to benefit maximally from them, with royalty being paid into the federal purse rather than the central government taking over resources in state domains. He concluded by insisting that the contentious revenue allocation formula must also be reviewed and adjusted to fully complement the devolution of power to the lower tiers of government, aligning the sharing model with the realities of true federalism.
The professor’s views align with the ongoing and growing national discourse on constitutional reform, with calls for restructuring, resource control, and state policing dominating the conversation. For instance, former Akwa Ibom State governor Victor Attah has previously called the 1999 Constitution “a unitary system masquerading as federalism,” urging the country to stop pretending to be federal while running a centralised state.
