This is a lesson from the tutorial, Structure and Systems of Government and you are encouraged to log This type of government is also known as a "federation" or a "federal state" in common parlance (eg., United States of America). May 7, 2015. Throughout history, it has been a political system where 2+ governments share authority over the same geographical area. The unity here is brought about by the desire of the component units of the federation to form union in respect of some matters. Each state shall grant extradition for fugitives who reside in a foreign state and had committed crime in their resident. IvyPanda. In fact, Nigeria can be seen as a prime example of the "resource curse", a phenomenon where natural resource wealth leads to poor economic growth and development and an increased likelihood for civil conflict. Federalism provides a structure that diffuses governmental power. Federalism allows local governments to fight the national governments. The federal system makes government more manageable. This is where the regional government steps in. Federalism often protects the will of the majority at any cost. Federalism was basically introduced to bring about peace and unity in the different regions of the country. So, without wasting much time, what is a federal system of government? Also see: Differences between 1960 and 1963 constitution of Nigeria, reasons for federal system of government in nigeria. Description. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This article is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Required fields are marked *. Nigerian federalism can be traced back to 1914 when the Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated because, during this period, the powers of government were shared between the central government headed by the Governor-General and the governments of Southern protectorates and Northern protectorates. Different states also have different laws making it hard to enforce law on visitors who had moved in the state. Under this type, there exist a balkanization of formerly unitary state near disintegration and its diversities which progress to a state. The centralization of Nigeria's fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. This is to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging. Possess power would probably give them the voice to air out their grievances. The Constitution designates certain powers to be the domain of a central government, and others are specifically reserved to the state governments. Because this structure of government looks at cooperation and sharing as its primary structure, there is an opportunity to try a different set of policies to see how they will work. The smaller branches of the local governments are right in the middle of the local society. Excellent, thanks a lot f Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. In 1939 sir Bernard Bourdillion made a serious constitutional proposal which concluded having regional councils with a central council in Lagos. /Type /XObject You are not allowed to sell the hair of a dog or cat in Delaware. It therefore appears that the basic goal of federalism in Nigeria is to promote the unity of the country while creating space for political autonomy of the different sections of Nigeria 20. Federal systems emerge in two broad ways both of which have epochal . It is the result of the highly established units which can usually be absent. The federal system makes government more manageable. People become more involved with their government in a variety of ways when federalism is the structure in place. Federalism allows national governments to fight the local ones. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Federalism provides a structure that diffuses governmental power . The local governments can decide to fight the existence of some specific national laws by going through the justice system of the country. The fact that Nigeria is regarded as Africa's only "federal" state commands the interest not only of political scientists but also of policymakers and all those "What do we want from federalism?" asked the late Martin Diamond in a famous essay written thirty years ago. It creates a sense of local patriotism. In the same way, the political culture of the United States is civic, republican and participatory. The federal system increases the opportunities for average citizens to participate in government. Your browser seems to have Javascript disabled. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This advantage is one of the reasons why aid for Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria took longer to receive than states in the continental 48. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Many forms of federalism look to create checks and balances throughout society as a way to create an equal governing process. Read Also:Importance of Journalism in Nigeria. Nigeria became a federation of three regions in 1954 while today it is a federation of thirty-six states. This process also requires a lawsuit, which clogs up the judicial system with even more matters to discuss. Importance of Federalism in Nigeria are listed and explicated herein. We use cookies and similar technologies to ensure our website works properly, personalize your browsing experience, analyze how you use our website, and deliver relevant ads to you. Federalism can create oppositional competition. Possessing a lot of power will enable them have the authority to raise navy and armies that could control tragedies from happening by protecting the nation. a. 2019. The USA and Canada were formed with the above interest at heart. The Evolution, Development and Practice of Federalism in Nigeria Charas Madu Tella, Ahmed Wali Doho, Aliyu Bapeto Abstract Federalism is a political philosophy in which members of a group are . 1. America wanted to control all the economic activities of the nation and raising the national government powers would enable them achieve it. There are those who purchase goods in neighbouring state to escape sales tax in a particular state. Federal systems have at least two levels of government, the central level and a second level that includes territorial entities into which the country is divided, e.g. Of course, with both pros and cons, fiscal federalism is a matter of study and debate for many economists. There are several pros and cons of federalism to consider when looking at it as a political system. This has nexus with the particular sharing formula adopted. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Nigeria therefore falls into the latter because of the wide diversities. Some choose to use a central system of government that regulates the entire country. This resulted in the loss of many lives. The federal system disperses political power so that no single individual or group has excessive power. Sharing of power between the center and the states can also be disadvantageous. John Paden, George Mason University: Federalism in Nigeria. Rich states offer more opportunities and benefits to its citizens than poor states can. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Finally, in a model of cooperative federalism with indepen-dent spheres of government, all orders of government enjoy autonomous and equal status and coordinate their policies horizontally and vertically. On the subject of policy innovation, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis observed in 1932 that "a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and . IvyPanda. Federalism encourages innovation in governing. Kayode Oladele. This was due to several reasons such as: Dye, Thomas. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This content downloaded from 202.43.93 on Sat, 07 Sep 2019 03:19:32 UTC . This is so because where federal principles apply, the various ethnic groups that cannot or dont form majority to produce large part may have the opportunity of governing themselves within their federating unit controlled by them. Abacha regime, added more states making Nigeria a federation of 36 states and Federal capital Territory at Abuja. Knowing who is responsible for specific issues can make it difficult for any aid to make it to its intended destination. Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. The federal system makes government more manageable. It is important to also reason that small states are prone to domination and sometimes control by the big ones. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? However, the practice of fiscal federalism in Nigeria is a negation of true federalism. "Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages." *$( %2%(,-/0/#484.7*./. C But before moving to the crux of this article, we will be looking briefly at the meaning and history of federalism in Nigeria. This was many times more the population of most African countries then. In conclusion, federalism has both advantages and disadvantages. This assessment on Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages was written and submitted by your fellow Because the U.S. provides some of the power to the states, it creates efficiencies in the governing system because delegation is possible. In light of this, a constitution is said to be federal when its operates two levels of government, that is the federal and state, and each of this level exercise its different powers without interference by the other level. What is causing the plague in Thebes and how can it be fixed? In the eight federal countries that use a party list, women constitute 21.4 to 48.2% of the central parliament, while the global average is 24.5% (Foster, 2020). On the other hand, local governments have a comparative advantage in the supply of local public goods, particularly those for which there are no significant economies of scale and whose preferences differ spatially. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Organizing and providing relevant educational content, resources and information for students. Too many elected representatives with overlapping roles may also lead to corruption. Present Nigeria was formed by the amalgamation of two regions which many see as a big influence in why federalism was later adopted by the British and later on by Nigerian leaders as at the time of independence. professional specifically for you? Possessing taxation power under the 16. 1. Because each community can create their own set of laws and rules in a system of federalism (especially in the United States), then the structure can create unwanted competition for resources that seeks to limit some demographics.