Problems Of Nigerian Federalism

The emergence of Nigerian federalism  is not without problems. Some of the problems with the federal  structure include bitter ethnic rivalry between the three major groups, the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba and the Igbo  who have been at the center of  'push and push' in the system". The period 1964 to 1967 witnessed the intensity of this rivalry which result  in massive riots in the west, a fail military  coup at the center and killing of notable  northern leaders,the massacre of Igbo in the north and finally a 30 month civil war.
       There is also the issue of creation  of economically unviable states, especially from the North.This  has become a problem to federal government which spends huge revenue  to sustain the unviable states. Related to this, is the question of overbearing powerful center, politicization  of population census, neglect of minority fear and agitations, bitter ethnic rivalry, corruption and poor leadership, lopsided  revenue allocation  and demand for fiscal federalism, federal character and military intervention in politics. The advent of military intervention in the  political process of Nigeria was a major the problems of Nigeria federalism. The military sacrificed   Nigerian   federalism on the alter of centralization. The military are structurally incapable of running  a federal system because their unified  command structure  is incapable of accepting  that  a state government which they consider to be hierarchically subordinate  to the federal  government ,could have the domains cover which she is sovereign.
     The South- south has become  Nigeria's political albatross. The nature and character of the situation  in the South- south depicts the sad face of capitalist exploitation of man and resource  and greedy manifestation of political leadership  in the utilization  of natural endowments to tackle critical  issues of underdevelopment   in  terms of the  infrastructure, human capital  and economic growth.