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Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, said Nigerian federalism remains central to its constitutional order, reflecting diversity and history.
Sulaiman made the remark during a one-day public lecture on ‘Federalism in Nigeria at 70’ on Friday in Abuja
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture attracted scholars and democracy advocates from across the country.
Sulaiman described the lecture as timely, offering reflection on origins, achievements and shortcomings of Nigerian federalism, while promoting forward-looking reforms suited for the 21st century aspirations.
He noted that although federalism had attracted diversity, it still posed unresolved challenges after 70 years of evolving practice in the country.
The NILDS director-general reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to strengthening legislative capacity and democratic values.
He added that NILDS had been positioned as a hub for research-driven and evidence-based policy conversations across Nigeria.
While welcoming participants, he urged them to engage critically in order to ensure impactful democracy in the country.
The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Rotimi Suberu, said Nigeria’s federation, despite over-centralisation, had been ‘reasonably successful’ in managing deep-rooted ethnic fault lines within the country.
He noted that the success had helped Nigeria in avoiding secessionist breakups that plagued divided federations, such as USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia–Eritrea and Sudan.
Suberu, a Professor of Political Science at Bennington College, Vermont, USA, noted that the centralising features of Nigeria’s federation had remained largely consistent over time.
He added that India and South Africa emerged from efforts to hold together previously unitary political systems rather than from the coming together of independent pre-existing polities.
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