RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA: A PANACEA FOR DEVELOPMENT

This study focused on “Restructuring Nigeria: A Panacea for development”. There has been constant quest for restructuring of the Nigerian federation in recent times. This call for restructuring is based on the perceived problems and ineffectiveness of the Nigerian system such as mass poverty, unemployment, insecurity, as well as growing restiveness and ethnic agitations such as that of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Equally, perceived problems of marginalization of some ethnic groups as well as structural deformities of the Nigerian federation such as inequities in the distribution of states and local governments amongst the six-geopolitical zones, the call for the devolution of powers from the centre to the states and the need for fiscal federalism necessitate the call for restructuring. Four objectives as well as four research questions were formulated to guide the study. The researcher employed content and documentary analysis as the design of this study. The historical and dialectical materialism theory of Karl Marx and the Elite theory of Vilfredo Pareto were utilized in developing the theoretical framework of this study. The findings of this study show that the problems which necessitated the quest for restructuring include over-concentration of power at the centre, the problems of minorities and uneven development, and perceived slow pace of development of the country given the available human, material and natural resources. Some recommendations/strategies for restructuring the country are proferred which include the need for devolution of powers away from the centre, practicing true fiscal federalism, the need for diversification of the nation's economy, promoting competitive federalism, reducing corruption drastically across all levels of governance in the country as well as the need to enhance and enforce the autonomy of local governments in the country.