Nigeria in search of “true federalism”

   The article analyzes the processes accompanying the improvement of federal statehood in modern Nigeria. The recognition by Nigerian society of the defects inherent in the current over-centralized model of federation, which was cultivated by the military regimes of the 1960–1990^s, provoked a discussion about the so-called “true federalism” – an ideal state of affairs, which, according to critics, the Nigerian federation has not been able to achieve for several decades. Among the key issues raised in connection with “true federalism”, optimal regional “slicing” is being discussed, including options for increasing or reducing the number of federated entities, as well as finding the most equitable formula for distributing income from oil produced in the country. However, the further granting of political subjectivity to new segments of national territory (and to ethnic groups), and the expansion of the share of oil revenues received by oil-producing states, turn out to be ambiguous measures: they heal some of the ills of Nigerian federalism, but instead generate other flaws. In addition, the development of a more effective model of federation is significantly hindered by the fact that there are powerful forces on the Nigerian political scene that, instead of seeking “true federalism”, either seek the disintegration of the country through secession (dissident movements of the former Biafra or rebel groups of the Niger Delta), or deny the Nigerian federation as such (the Islamist group Boko Haram*).

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