reasons for the adoption of federalism in nigeria pdf

It is not surprising that Nigeria in its 55 years of political sojourn has tried different forms of federalism. Dual federalism was dominant from the 1790s until the 1930s. SjHw`d"*z;3N&W3k]:}N\t+5 (Nw3hW"T"aDV$V e. We hope to seeing you again on other posts of interest. 2013 PP.100-107, This paper explores the issue of unification federalism in Nigeria, which has been an obstacle to peace, development and threats to security .The findings from an extensive reading of related materials suggest that, the root of contemporary political conflict and underdevelopment in Nigeria political landscape shows clearly in the area of imbalance political structures that were established before and after independence. 7 Topics . Full History of Nigerian Federalism. Insecurity and the desire for union are the main reasons for the shift from unitary system of government to federal system of government in 1954. The Legacy of Biafra: An Investigation into trauma as National Identity Fragmentation, Under Reconstruction: Ethnicity, Ethnic Nationalism, and the Future of the Nigerian State, ETHNIC SCHISM IN NIGERIA: A SOCIO-LITERAY STUDY OF CHINUA ACHEBE'S THERE WAS COUNTRY. The availability of resources in a particular region and the need for that area to control the resources has also been seen as a reason for a federal system in Nigeria. Given the size of Nigeria, it lays claims to being the Giant of Africa. Many nations in the international community recognizes her as such. Federalism will shape the long-term health and economic impacts of COVID-19, including plans for the future, for at least two reasons: First, federalism exacerbates inequities, as some states have a history of underinvesting in social programs, especially in certain communities. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government . There is no doubt that geographical factored are one of the influential reasons for federalism in Nigeria. The first military head of state, General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi for instance was interested in a unitary Nigeria and he scrapped federalism. The constitution emphasized areas of authority between the central government and the regions. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. It discovered a positive relationship between the changes in the fiscal structure and the aggravation of ethnic minorities' struggles. The first military head of state was dethroned for adopting unitary system of government yet successive military administration in practice follow unitary principle instead of federal system. In many countries of the world, federalism has emerged as a means of accommodating the growing desire of people to preserve or revive the intimacy of small societies and the growing necessity for larger combinations to mobilize the utilization of common resources. Just very few words have evoked much more controversy in the discus of politics than the word, federalism. 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. In Nigeria, it could be argued that our federal system of government is the creation of British colonialism. /Font << Since 1954 successively Nigerian constitution had adopted the federal system of government without much emphasis on the unity or disunity it has accorded to Nigeria. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Federalism in Nigeria refers to the devolution of self-governance by the West African nation of Nigeria to its federated states, who share sovereignty with the Federal Government. READ ALSO: History of democracy in Nigeria from 1960. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Trouble for INEC staff who violated Electoral Act during presidential polls as c 53 things to do with your boyfriend: fun ways to spend time together, Presidential election: Jack-Rich salutes Tinubu, Shettima over victory, Maritime workers hail Supreme Court over old naira notes, says cargo can now leave ports, Dating apps in Nigeria: best applications to help you find the one. Very often, the problem has appeared in twofold. It is our pleasure. CLICK HERE To Pay With Debit Card ($15) GHANA - Make Payment of 80 GHS to MTN MoMo, 0553978005, Douglas Osabutey. The chief architect of this theory is Riker. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is publishing this proposed rule to revise HUD's regulations for branch office registration requirements. Have you ever wondered why Nigeria is practicing a federal system of government and not any other system? 74 . You can download the paper by clicking the button above. This simply means that federalism in Nigeria provides accommodation, an institutional arrangement which gives the component units equal and coordinate jural status. The paper begins by placing the question in an historical context examines its different phases and characters. REASONS FOR ADOPTION OF FEDERALISM According to IDEA (2015:3), federalism is adoption for the following reasons: Scale: This credited the operation of federalism to the adoption of democracy which allowed for citizens to participate directly in political life. Each state has the same level of self-governance. Another factor that prompted the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the fear of insecurity and the desire for union. Even the masses in the rural areas of the country are allowed to participate in politics by electing their representatives into office. Also, Read: Bad Leadership Causes, Effects And Solutions In Nigeria. The advanced economies where Nigeria had borrowed leaves from, such as USA practice federalism. REVENUE ALLOCATION IN NIGERIA: NEED FOR REFORM? So, without wasting much time, what is a federal system of government? READ ALSO: Reasons for political apathy in Nigeria, Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria. In recent times, specifically in post 2015 general election, there have been new waves of agitations for the Biafra republic by both Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra and Indigenous People of Biafra on one hand and for Niger Delta republic by Niger Delta Avengers on the other, added to terrorism and militancy that are already threatening Nigeria fragile state. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? Why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria, SEE REASONS HERE. 3. These maladies have led to a renewal of the call for secession by the South-Eastern ethnic group of Nigeria for a Republic of Biafra, on the basis that they are being short-changed in the political cum socio-economic largess accumulating from the Centre. 3 Reasons for federal system of government in Nigeria 3.1 1. Since a strong bond links the process through which constitutions are produced and their degree of acceptance and effectiveness, questions over the Constitutions legitimacy prompted parliament to amend it in 2010. This embodies ideas of promise, obligation, and undertaking; and consequently, the federal idea draws on collaboration, reciprocity, and mutuality. This paper consequently argues that the anxiety as well as angst attributable to this agitation has the tendencies of not only disrupting the relative-peace presently enjoyed by the various groups, but is also, if not controlled, capable of plunging the country into a state of economic comatose and perpetual fragility. That is often the reason why some adherents of Marx quarrel vehemently about such preordained classification such as: haves and have-nots; and the liberal minds grappling with, insisting not only that all hands are not equal, but that they must never, for whatsoever reason at all, be made equal - believing that that would tantamount to the highest injustice. The construct of federalism, which originates with the concept of intergovernmental relations, dates back to the Greek civilization. History of federal system of government in nigeria. Nigeria thus consists of various ethnic groups and sub-national states, all of which are at the mercy of the Central government. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. The fear of ethnic groups overlapping regional boundaries and the loyalties of castes cutting of some extent across provincial political boundaries also encourage some groups to support wider federal unions. The disadvantages are that it can set off a race to the bottom among states, cause cross-state economic and social disparities, and obstruct federal efforts . Such an act has constituted to one of the major problems of federalism thereby militating against the development of the nation. It advocates good governance and a participatory approach to constitutional review as the foundations for strong constitutionalism in Nigeria. Promoters of the idea were of the view that the ! Constitutionalism in Nigeria has been crisis-ridden since independence in 1960. As I have already explained, Nigeria is an amalgamation of three different regions with beliefs and customs. %PDF-1.5 The paper identifies and discusses the problems associated with separatist movements and how they affect national and social security, and argues that while the definition of state failure is contested and therefore Nigeria cannot yet be called a failed state, but certainly a fragile state. Thus, federalism seemed to be the only option left for Nigeria because it allows for popular participation in government. Abstract One of the arguments for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is the desire for economic and political viability and development in a nation of uneven distribution of human and. Post-independence creation of states and further division of states created after independence was done as a framework for the development of Nigeria. The logic for this call, nay, agitation for self-determination by this group is not faulty in itself except that the laws of the land; Nigeria 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not guarantee self-determination or secession by any group of the Nigerian political environment. welcome, and thanks for reading us. Further Philosophical Issues 4.1 Sovereignty or federalism 4.2 Issues of Constitutional and Institutional Design 4.3 Sources of Stability 4.4 Division of Power 4.5 Distributive Justice There was just the Northern Protectorate and the Southern Protectorate. The Emergence of Nigeria as a political entity under colonial rule was not an easy affair. POL 124 MAIN CONTENT Mar 21, 2011 NEW (1), Resource Control, Federalism and Peace in the Niger Delta: A Reflection on Nigeria at Fifty, Federalism and Revenue Allocation in Nigeria: A Critical Evaluation of the Derivation Principle, Legal Framework for Fiscal Federalism: Issues and Options for Reform, RESOURCE CONTROL, REVENUE ALLOCATION AND PETROLEUM POLITICS IN NIGERIA: THE NIGER DELTA QUESTION, Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations in Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Issues and Challenges, The Nigerian State and the Quest for Restructuring: Implications for Democratic Consolidation, Federalism, Democracy and Constitutionalism: The Nigerian Experience. Moreover, it is important to note that most of the ethnic groups in Nigeria had strong political inter-group relationship before colonial rule. Hon. This helped to solve the problem of marginalization in the leadership. Unity of the country: 3.3 3. For a better explanation of the theory of federalism, I highly recommend that you watch the video below. Ethnic, Religious and Geographical Factor 3.5 5. To avert this domination, states unite to form a strong, virile and stable union capable of withstanding external attacks. Indeed, whatever scholarly connotations they bear, one strongly believes that they all enjoy one clear focus. In this article, I will elucidate and discuss with references the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. Nigeria's founding fathers desired a federal political framework, believing that federal states have the structural capacity to accommodate diversity. . and Democracy in Nigeria, ISSUES IN NIGERIAN FISCAL FEDERALISM; THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRINCIPLE OF DERIVATION AND RESOURCE CONTROL. The crux of the matter is that the minorities fear the domination of the majorities, but federalism allows them some independent existence, and as such, their fears, both real and fancied, are allayed. V(B8eDK@sx AK hG~ u;6DV,pwP# _ O4C sR 8_yC ! 9S ) ?roh _ O4C sR & Pf?? AK kyC?& Pf;_Hu j_ G$: 5/ Parliamentary and Unitary system of government were in operation in Nigeria between 1914 and 1946. Under this type, there exist a balkanization of formerly unitary state near disintegration and its diversities which progress to a state. And this is one of the factors responsible for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. The main goal of the Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, the agreement that governed the 13 colonies and was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War . Do you want to know the basis and the reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria? Problems facing the legal profession in Nigeria, History of the legal profession in Nigeria, Problems of Local Government in Nigeria And Solutions, 5 important Characteristic of customary law, Sources of Nigerian Law: everything you need to know. Population of the country British North American colonies unite 3 Up to 1867, the colonies 4 of British North America had no political or geographical links. The Hausa Fulani and the Minorities feared the domination of political powers by the Igbos and Yorubas. 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. The size of Nigeria is therefore managed and maintained with federalism. THE THEME OF IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM IN THE IPOB SECESSIONIST STRUGGLE, Abdul's Assignment on 711 Dr. Usman Mohammed, A nation divided against itself: Biafra and the conflicting online protest discourses, Ethnicity, Political Exclusion and the Resurgence of Separatism in South-Eastern, Nigeria, Hands Behind their backs: Making a case for a region-centred restructuring framework, THE EFFECT OF CRIMINAL INJUSTICE AGAINST EASTERN NIGERIA AND THE DEMAND FOR SELF-DETERMINATION BY IPOB. Nigeria and Ghana can not easily form a country chiefly because they are not geographically contiguous. 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. >> Federalism as said earlier decentralizes power. Federalism was favoured among other systems of government in a bid to averting . There must be a formal decision of government powers by the constitution between the federal and state government. All rights reserved. 2012, Issues and Trends in Nigeria's Development. 3. The states' territories were formed around ethnic groups with common interest and close ties, culture, and dialects. In Nigeria, there are different and distinct ethnic groups brought together by colonization. 2023, Bscholarly LLC. There may be no point, of course, boring ones moment with such lengthy activity of working out their conceptual nuances. Defence, Security, Economy and Development, Chigozirim Odinkalu, Ebenebe Ernest Onyeka, Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies (eJECS), International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences(IJRESS), Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation, African Journal of Governance and Development, Calabar Journal of Politics and Administration. The second theory focuses on the existence of external military or diplomatic threat for the origin of federalism. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. As a Nigerian, it is important to understand some basic things about the system of governance in Nigeria and why it is so. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr 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. Thus, Nigeria's federalism is not only complex but also hard to understand. Journal of public administration and Management Vol.6,No.12, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. It has been suggested that the creation of more states and local government have helped in the distribution of national cake. 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. So for effective governance of a country of this big size, federalism has to be adopted. This has led to a deep sense of alienation and politics of ethnic identity. Since Nigeria is a heterogeneous nation and Federalism is more practicable in such kind of nation, it is an ideal system of government. Power Sharing Formula |4-Iv Olawale Olaopa, Ibikunle Ogundari, Mike Awoleye and Willie Siyanbola, Nigeria Quasi Federalism: An Obstacle To Peace And Development In Nigeria, FEDERAL BALANCING IN NIGERIA: A PARADIGM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY, DECENTRALIZING PUBLIC SECTOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND THE CONTRADICTIONS OF FEDERAL PRACTICE IN NIGERIA, The National Assembly, Constitution Amendment and Civil Society Expectations, True Federalism in Nigeria: A Political Discourse, Re-regionalization and Fiscal Federalism: The Panacea for Accelerated National Development in Nigeria, REPORT OF NIGERIA'S 2014 NATIONAL DIALOGUE, Politics, Power. It forays into the inherent issues underlying the Biafran movement and the ways in which those issues, as well as Biafran agitation, are inimical to Nigeria's development. Rt. sir Arthur Richards strengthened this proposal in 1945 and regionalism was introduced by his administration in 1946. The federal government however has occupied a very strong position vis--vis the State and Local government since the 1970's in Nigeria. Despite that, instead of unity, cooperation and consensus, there has been apparent division, disagreement, and dissension. It established that the resources of a particular state is not totally owned by the federal government. Nigeria are typically inclined to the derivation principle, which is the process of distributing centrally generated revenue to constituent units with regards to the contribution made by a group to the country's more 12substantial income. Historical experience 3.2 2. As a heterogeneous state, Nigeria operates a federal structure which accommodates a Central government and sub-national, otherwise, state governments with several other municipal administrations; local government, therefore enabling a tripartite level of governance. If you answer to the above questions is no, then you lucky to be here. This paper recommends that there should be an overhaul of the political system through constitutional amendment process to expunge provisions that negate federalism and provide for implementation of true federalism. A large body of literature exists on Nigeria's fiscal federalism particularly with reference to revenue allocation. However, where there is a conflict of authority between the federal government and regional government, the federal authority supersedes. I love this article,very educating and interesting Problems of Nigerian Federalism 1) Revenue Allocation: This has been a problem in Nigeria. Voter Turnout, Voting Behavior and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria By Professor Sakah Saidu Mahmud Kwara State University, Malete 1. Local Government In Nigeria : Definition, Functions, And Importance, Bad Leadership Causes, Effects And Solutions In Nigeria, How To Calculate OAU Aggregate Score for Admission, Best Education Websites and Blogs In Nigeria (2021), Lakzeland Regional High School Board Of Education, Student Loan Planning Educational Webinar With Justin Rice, Is Agricultural Chemicals a Good Career Path? There are three major tribes in Nigeria namely Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. /Length 3884 The British in their quest for economic wealth and geo-political edges over other Europeans in Africa made Nigeria the largest British colony in Africa. Despite the profound and lengthy discussions that have taken place on the subject for about four and half decades, consensus has not been reached concerning the optimal formula to adopt to achieve desired economic development . This is why there is a clamoring for restructuring and true federalism in Nigeria. The calls for restructuring have been louder particularly from the southern part of Nigeria. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. For citation see: http://www.cejiss.org/issue-detail/biafra-s-resurgence-state-failure-insecurity-and-separatist-agitations-in-nigeria. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz At the heart of these crises are weak democratic institutions, which are sustained by bad leadership and a culture of impunity. >> To know more about various aspects of federalism in Nigeria ,you may read from . 2. To begin with, the title of this book, " Last Train to Biafra " is allegorically evocative of the severing of, or rather the dead relationship between Nigeria and Biafra. politicization of ethnicity or the ethnicization of the politics of state creation that Nigeria has witnessed in recent years. Another important factor that necessitated federalism in Nigeria was the political culture of the country. Nigeria is quite a big country with an area of 923,768 km2. /F5 18 0 R /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB Wheare who contends that it is a system where powers are shared between central and regional governments so that each is in a sphere cordinate and independent. The unity here is brought about by the desire of the component units of the federation to form union in respect of some matters. 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. Then Nigeria was organised into a federation that had three regions. Reasons for a state to adopt a federal system include the need to reflect linguistic, economic and cultural differences of a population, especially one that is concentrated geographically. It represents a synthetic between two perspectiveneess; one is that politics of the United States should produce the good commonwealth and the other is that the principal task of politics is to create an open political market. - Cooperative or "marble-cake" federalism is de ned as a exible relationship between the national and state government in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Payment Details. The USA and Canada were formed with the above interest at heart. Besides the Big Three - Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, there are other macro and micro ethnic minorities in the country. Nigeria's independence was gotten and founded on the basis of a federalist system of Government. The United States, Canada, India, France and Australia adopted federalism because of the desire for security by the various ethnic units. /Type /Page In Nigerian democracy, there is a federalist system of government. This is because federalism is presented as a panacea in organizing distinct political identities under a state. Roxy Horner biography: who is Jack Whitehalls girlfriend? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. government and the governed by enhancing political cohesion in such country with regional, ethic, racial, linguistic and cultural diversity like Nigeria. /F1 6 0 R INTRO: Federalism has been approached with variegated definitions such that one might argue that there are as much definitions of federalism as there are authors on the subject. Reasons for Federalism 3.1 Reasons for a federal order rather than separate states or secession 3.2 Reasons for preferring federal orders over a unitary state 4. However, that is not so in a federal government system. It is also an undisputed fact that the Hausas and Yorubas fought Biafra to keep the unity of Nigeria. ideology, federalism becomes the only solution to ensure peace and unity amongst the. This regional arrangement gave rise to ethnic sentiment and political struggle for the center among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. Is there high propensity or likelihood of exclusion, marginalization and relative deprivation, which was to engender obsessive mutual antagonism? Reasons For The Adoption Of Federalism In Nigeria. Federalism as a system of government has been approached with variegated definitions such that one might argue that there are much definitions of federalism as there are authors on the subject. 7 Cooperative federalism was dominant from the 1930s through the 1970s. Fiscal Federalism and Democratic Governance in Nigeria - I. O. Taiwo 2004 Required fields are marked *. In Nigerias case, the tongues and tribes that made up Nigeria has one colonial history. Federalism therefore involves the linkage of individuals, groups and policies in lasting but limited union in such a way as to provide for the energetic pursuit of common goals while maintaining the respective integrities of all parties. First, how to properly place peoples, better still - indigenes and ethnic groupings, in their relevant socio-economic categories; that is, in line with the oil windfalls. Nigeria, a previously unitary state, became a federation in 1954. 1. Naturally, federal system of government has some distinctive features namely: 1. The governmental powers are shared between the federal government and the thirty-six state governments. It submits that the problem with constitutionalism in Nigeria is poor leadership and poor implementation of the Constitution. Do you know the reasons for federalism in Nigeria? 19 more states were created in 1976 in order to score more political advantage by the Murtala-Obasanjo regime against those that favor General Yakubu Gowon. 2. Required fields are marked *. Introduction In a statement on the 2015 Nigerian General Elections the Freedom House (2015a) congratulated Nigerians for an election that appears to be one of the smoothest and least violent in Nigeria's In order to examine these issues, this paper adopted qualitative research and intrinsic approach methodology, along with relative deprivation theory. /Parent 2 0 R RESTRUCTURE OR DISINTEGRATE, OFFICIAL CORRUPTION AND THE DILEMA OF INSTABILITY IN NIGERIA, The Rationale for AfSol in Peace and Security: The Global, National and Regional Precipitants, Agitation for Restructuring and Resource Control in Nigeria's Federalism: Issues, Perspectives and the Way Forward, Giving Peace a Chance in Nigeria: The Case for a Preventive Diplomacy, Framing of Neo-Biafra Agitations in Selected Nigerian Newspapers, CRISES OF FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA AND THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE BELT REGION, Social Media and Hate Speech: Analysis of Comments on Biafra Agitations, Nigeria. To learn more, view ourPrivacy Policy. What a nice and educating document!We are grateful for this post. The proximity of the tongues and tribes in Nigeria made it possible for the adoption of federalism in the country. Death of a nation - Biafra and the Nigerian question.pdf, The politics and problem of fiscal federalism and revenue allocation formula in Nigeria: Who should get what, how, when and why, Resource Control: a Necessary Element for True Federalism in Nigeria, THE IMPACT OF STATE JOINT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT ON STATE LOCAL RELATIONS IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA, MEMORANDUM ON TRUE FEDERALISM SUBMITTED BY THE 'RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA' COMMUNITY AS A RESPONSE TO THE APC COMMITTEE CALL ON TRUE FEDERALISM, THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES The Legal Framework for the Corporate Existence of Nigeria, Intricacies and paradoxes federalism and secessionism in Nigeria.pdf, Civic Education Curriculum Implementation, NIGERIAN FEDERALISM AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PURSUIT, PROSPECTS AND IMPEDIMENTS TO UNITY AND NATION BUILDING, Constitutions Making, Amendments, Reviews and Nigerias Political Development: Federalism can be defined as a system of government in which political powers of the state are shared between the central government and other component units. The history of Ijaw, Edo, Igala, Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe and Hausa Kingdoms are enriched with social-political relationships that existed before the emergence of the white man. a system of state organization, to bring a workable polity with a just moral order is the reason why states adopt or should adopt federalism. Also see: Differences between 1960 and 1963 constitution of Nigeria, reasons for federal system of government in nigeria. The powers that exist between the federal and state government also depends on the constitution. Manages And Maintains And Secures Nigeria. Why do nations federate?, what are the factors or conditions to have necessitated the adoption of federalism?, how is a federation to be organized?, how is power to be shared between the levels of government in a federation?, is federalism a means to an end or an end itself?, why do some federations succeed and others fail?. Besides this desire, there was also the presence of certain socio-economic conditions (Babalola, 2013 . This paper exploits the growth benefits that ICT sector has provided and its impact on the Nigerian economy. Federalism: Federal Features in the Colonial State." A chronology of critical events in Nigeria's political development from the adoption of a federal system in 1954 to the present is provided in Table 1. A Policy Brief examining the actors, factors and dynamics of the agitations, questioning if the current agitation is another flash in the pan and if current responses are adequate to address the agitations for secession of Biafra from Nigeria. Your email address will not be published. Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. One of the major reasons why countries choose federalism is because of size.