LASU Don Warns: Nigeria Must Domesticate Federalism To Avoid Political Collapse
By TINA TOLUTOPE
ADEWUMI Falode, Professor of International Relations, History, and Strategic Studies at Lagos State University (LASU), has cautioned that Nigeria’s federal system, as currently practiced, is ill-suited to the country’s political and economic realities. He urged a domesticated, locally tailored form of federalism to address the persistent fractures in governance and national cohesion.
Falode delivered the warning during LASU’s 115th inaugural lecture, titled “Bespoke solutions: Reimagining, reifying and realigning the wheels of the Nigerian state”, held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium in Lagos. Drawing on his dual expertise as a historian and international relations scholar, he traced Nigeria’s post-independence political trajectory, highlighting recurring misalignments, misadventures, and maladjustments that have hindered the nation’s development.
He described Nigeria’s imported democratic model as “alien, expensive, wasteful, ruinous, and destructive,” noting that it has failed to guarantee inclusive participation or deliver on citizens’ aspirations. According to Falode, the country’s chronic instability stems from the inability of past leaders to adapt federalism to local realities.
Examining the First Republic, he highlighted the dominance of the three main regional parties—the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), Action Group (AG), and National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC)—whose ethnic-centered politics deepened divisions and weakened national unity. The parliamentary system, he argued, further marginalized minority groups, creating tensions that contributed to the collapse of the First Republic.
Falode emphasized that the challenges of nation-building have persisted across successive civilian and military administrations, with recurring patterns of misalignment and inadequate representation. He urged that any reform must go beyond superficial adoption of federalist principles, advocating instead for a bespoke approach that reflects Nigeria’s diverse cultural, ethnic, and political realities.
“Customised federalism is not optional; it is essential if Nigeria hopes to mend its divisions and build a cohesive, stable, and economically viable state,” Falode concluded, stressing that the nation’s future depends on pragmatic, context-sensitive reforms rather than the wholesale importation of foreign models.
