1. Federal systems emerge in two broad ways both of which have epochal . At the same time, the accommodation of very diverse groups whose differences are fundamental rather than transient by giving them territorial power bases of their own has enhanced the ability of federal systems to function as vehicles of political integration while preserving democratic government. The Pros of Federalism. regions, states, provinces. 2. lessens the risk of one political party gain to monopoly on political power. 6 0 obj Importance of Federalism in Nigeria are listed and explicated herein. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Organizing and providing relevant educational content, resources and information for students. New York: Harper & Row, 1984. 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 Federalism increases the level of participation by individuals. Unfortunately, since the formation of Nigeria and adoption of this system of governance in the country has not seen much effect of federalism. 1. 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. For the time being the focus rests on advantages. /Subtype /Image 2019. The Benefits of Federalism Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. Both scenarios pose a threat to the countries integrity. Another major reason why federalism was adopted in Nigeria is the multiple ethnic backgrounds in Nigeria. house of representatives and the Senate). One of the major reasons why countries choose federalism is because of size. However, where there is a conflict of authority between the federal government and regional government, the federal authority supersedes. By diffusing power to multiple branches of office, like the U.S. does with the executive, legislative, and judicial segments, it becomes more challenging for one division to take over the country. It was partially responsible for the division in the 1800s that eventually led to the Civil War. Federalism was the only solution to ensure peace and unity amongst the leaders and the citizens and that was why federalism was adopted into the Nigerian political system. Here, both the majority and minority are represented in the government. 1. Advantages of Federalism Federalism promotes unity: the system provides a united national government deal in matters such as finance, defence, regulation of business and foreign affairs. This goal has not been realized, as most of these states are incapable of standing for themselves financially. The definition of federalism is straightforward: it is the federal principle or system of government. Read Also:Importance of Indigenization in Nigeria. . An action of one government is always opposed by other government to enforce civil rights in Southern states. The unity here is brought about by the desire of the component units of the federation to form union in respect of some matters. If you answer to the above questions is no, then you lucky to be here. Moreover, it is important to note that most of the ethnic groups in Nigeria had strong political inter-group relationship before colonial rule. The federal system makes government more manageable. Another cogent reason for federalism in Nigeria is the fear of marginalization. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. /Height 235 Just clear tips and lifehacks for every day, Advantages of Federal System of Government. 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. The results that come from these efforts can then be useful when deciding if such an idea should be rolled out to the rest of the country. Federalism is costly as a lot of money is required to maintain the two governments. But nigeria today became the proudable and bearable country, As of 2012, the population was about 166.2 million but this has increased to 200.96 million in 2019. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. a. They believed that federalism was a means to an end and that end was an all-encompassing development sweeping through the length and breadth of the country. Federalism in Nigeria can be traced to Sir Frederick Lord Lugard, when the Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated in 1914. Federalism brings about peaceful political association of multi-ethnic groups: Federalism produces a stronger and stable nation: Equitable development and growth of the nation. Different states also have different laws making it hard to enforce law on visitors who had moved in the state. Justice Udo Udoma is of the view that regionalism was introduced by the colonialists in order to divide and rule, and weaken true national unity in Nigeria. Natural resources, industries, employment opportunities differ from region to region. Description. States also engage in economic competition which causes economic warfare amongst them. 1. limits the power of federal officials to determine local polices. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Another reason why federalism is adopted by any country is that of its population. Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages. If the desire to remain separate does not exist, the the association will not be federal but unitary with some delegation of powers to local government. In a Unitary system, the minority states cannot govern the entire region which is controlled by majority. Brazil is the only federation practising this form of federalism. Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Federalism is very important in Nigeria because of the size of our population. 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. Even the European Union is an example of federalism. This has nexus with the particular sharing formula adopted. So, our federalist form of government has several advantages, such as protecting us from tyranny, dispersing power, increasing citizen participation, and increasing effectiveness, and disadvantages, such as supposedly protecting slavery and segregation, increasing inequalities between states, states blocking national . However, the practice of fiscal federalism in Nigeria is a negation of true federalism. For example, pollution from a province which is promoting industrialization in a big way can affect another region which depends solely on agriculture and cause crop damage. The exact structures of each system can vary widely based on how the country sets up its governing process. (2019) 'Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages'. The Evolution of Nigerian Federalism Nigeria is, one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world with well over 250 ethno-linguistic groups, some of which are bigger than many independent states of contemporary Africa (Ojo, 2009). We will write a custom Assessment on Federalism System, Its Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $11.00 $9.35/page. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Federalism allows the government to become more responsive to individual needs. Thus each unit can exercise functions that they are well suited which promotes efficiency. This is why federalism is such a great advantage. Among the merits of federalism are that it promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion. The state government has the mandate of conducting elections, establishing local government and rectifying and amending constitution The national government in American Federalism has delegation powers which are always given to them by the constitution. You can learn more about how we use cookies by visiting our privacy policy page. Many forms of federalism look to create checks and balances throughout society as a way to create an equal governing process. Your browser seems to have Javascript disabled. Most are governed by a Congress or Parliament, a President or Prime Minister, and then some form of a judicial system. Another important factor that necessitated federalism in Nigeria was the political culture of the country. Cookies are small files that are stored on your browser. IvyPanda. Some governments are trying it, while others or not. Required fields are marked *. This was due to several reasons such as: Dye, Thomas. As I have already explained, Nigeria is an amalgamation of three different regions with beliefs and customs. Below are the reasons why Nigeria adopted a federal system of government: The major reason for the adoption of federal system of government in Nigeria is borne out of the historical experience that brought all the ethical groups together under one Nigeria. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The states have now become the administrative units of the federal government. For example, when typhoon Katrina hit Greater New Orleans, USA, in 2005, there was delay in the rescue work as there was confusion between the state governments and the federal government on who is responsible for which disaster management work. In some areas where major communal or other social antagonism cuts across territorial boundaries, ranging through all the federating units, communities or classes have been driven to seek to protect or strengthen their position by inter-territorial union. Federalism in India. 2. This has been the There is a general opinion that Nigeria was formed because of the interest of the British and they had to govern the country under a federation system. Federalism is a system of government where there are a decentralization power and autonomy of governance to the regional or federated states that share sovereignty with the Federal Government. ! Which of the following could be considered of the advantages of federalism and decentralization? The only way that American federalism was going to be restored and maintained was by reinstating major principals and empowering the state. Federalism can create uncertainty. \(\overset{\underset{\mathrm{def}}{}}{=} \). The federal system makes government more manageable. /Type /XObject << May 7, 2015. Naturally, federal system of government has some distinctive features namely: 1. It came about following the necessity for administrative convenience and managerial expenses. I love this article,very educating and interesting The pros and cons of federalism provide evidence that it is usually better for a society and nation if there is a system of power sharing available for the government. On the subject of policy innovation, Supreme Court Justice Federalism provides room for innovation and experimentation. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. There are some states which pursue policies which frustrate national policy because they cause them to sacrifice some of their interests to local interests such as segregation. 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. Nigeria as a result was divided into three provinces. The origin of federalism in Nigeria can be traced to the colonial era. 2.5 It Encourages Innovation In Governing. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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). This is also one of the reasons for federal system of government in Nigeria. Live, Study and Work in Canada. It does not store any personal data. Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier. The confrontation between a predominantly Muslim North and a predomi-nantly Christian South, a confrontation accentuated by the political advantages derived from the North's preponderant size and population. Your email address will not be published. Instead of designing a government that should unite the different elements in Nigeria, the colonialists fully adopted federal stem of government in 1954 and created greater regional autonomy. Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. 1. The Supreme Court of the United States underscored the point when it said that "the people of the United States are an integral, not a composite mass, and their unity and identity, in this . Advantages of federalism in Nigeria is the multiple ethnic backgrounds in Nigeria \overset { \underset { \mathrm def... Questions is no, then you lucky to be here big country with an area of km2. Federalism Among the merits of federalism Among the merits of federalism of size in! If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to your... Have already explained, Nigeria is the fear of marginalization to several reasons such as: Dye, Thomas Importance. 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advantages of federalism in nigeria