Nigerian federalism

Nigerian federalism divides constitutional authority between the national government and 36 states, alongside the Federal Capital Territory. Its operation is shaped by revenue allocation, central institutions, and disputes over regional autonomy.

Constitution of Nigeria: Nigeria’s supreme legal framework establishes government institutions, distributes powers, and protects rights. It assigns responsibilities to federal and state governments through exclusive, concurrent, and residual powers.
Nigerian independence: Nigeria became an independent country on 1 October 1960 after British colonial rule. Independence transferred a regional federal arrangement into a sovereign state.
Local government in Nigeria: Nigeria’s constitution recognizes local government areas as a third tier of government, administered under state laws. State control over local-government structures complicates the federation’s three-tier design.
Federal character principle: A constitutional principle requiring public institutions to reflect Nigeria’s federal diversity and avoid domination by a few states or groups. It links federal balance to representation in national appointments and public institutions.
Unitary state: A state in which the central government holds ultimate constitutional authority over subnational administrations. It contrasts with Nigeria’s constitutionally divided powers between federal and state governments.
Federal system: A system of government constitutionally divides authority between a central government and constituent political units. Nigerian federalism is one national arrangement within this broader form of government.
Lyttleton Constitution: Nigeria’s 1954 constitution established a formal federation with regional governments and a federal government. It supplied the institutional basis inherited at independence.
Resource control in Nigeria: A political and constitutional debate over who controls and benefits from natural resources produced in Nigeria’s regions. It exposes tensions between federal ownership rules and demands for regional autonomy.
Nigerian nationalism: Political movements and ideas advocating Nigerian self-government and a shared national identity. Federalism has been used to reconcile a common state with regional and ethnic diversity.
Confederalism: A political arrangement in which sovereign member units delegate limited powers to a common institution. It places Nigeria’s stronger national government against a looser union of sovereign states.

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