ABSTRACT
Nigeria is captured in the extant 1999 constitution as a federal state which recognizes the central government and two other constituent tiers. Nigeria’s journey of federalism began unequivocally in 1954 shortly before independence. Federalism was seen as the most viable arrangement in terms of the heterogeneity of the country and the historical differences among groups in it. However, the working of the federal system has been problematic in Nigeria. Thus, Nigeria’s unique federalism is characterized by an overt fiscal centralism as well as the concentration of power at the centre to the detriment of the other tiers who now battle diminishing fiscal and political autonomy. Therefore, Nigeria’s federalism falls short of the ideal, and the contemporary clamour for “true” federalism underlines the above fact. Incidentally, policy instruments and measures to ensure federalism and equity have thus far been either inadequate or wrongly implemented. Hence, there is a need for tinkering of federalism in Nigeria to address its shortfalls, since it still represents the most viable option for Nigeria’s development.
