Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Professor of Constitutional Law, Maxwell Gidado, has asserted that Nigeria’s long-standing agitations for secession particularly the push for Biafra could be effectively addressed through the implementation of a decentralised system of government.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Gidado reiterated key points from his recent lecture delivered at the 53rd Public Lecture of Nasarawa State University. The lecture, titled “Nigeria’s Unitary-Federalism and the Restructuring Debate: Perspectives from the Jurisprudence of Constitutionalism,” explored the flaws in Nigeria’s current federal arrangement and proposed a path forward through devolution of power.
According to the legal scholar, restructuring Nigeria to allow individual states greater autonomy would drastically reduce grievances of marginalisation. “When each state operates independently from the federal government, complaints of exclusion will be minimised, and corruption would become easier to detect and trace,” he said.
Gidado emphasised the fundamental role of security in governance, noting that under a decentralised system, states would have their own police and emergency response services. “In the current system, response times are slow and resources often lacking. With state-controlled emergency services, support can reach people more efficiently,” he stated.
On the critical issue of infrastructure and service delivery, Gidado pointed to frequent delays and inefficiencies in fire and emergency services across the country. “Most fire outbreaks escalate because responders lack the equipment they need equipment that’s stuck in a chain of federal bureaucracy,” he noted. He argued that if states were solely responsible for equipping and funding these services, outcomes would drastically improve.
Electricity, another key sector, was not left out. Gidado highlighted the failures of centralised power generation and distribution, suggesting that allowing states to independently generate and manage electricity could improve supply and accountability. “Right now, the entire country depends on the federal government for power. That approach has clearly failed us. But imagine if each state generated power for its own use it would lead to competition and, ultimately, innovation,” he said.
He extended the restructuring argument to education, proposing that states should build and fund their own tertiary institutions and be responsible for paying lecturers. This, he said, would enhance efficiency and encourage competitive academic standards across the federation.
Importantly, Gidado suggested that with greater power, states would become more reliant on their internally generated revenue (IGR), leading to smarter financial management and better transparency. He cited Lagos State as a successful example of a state thriving on its IGR. “When states depend on what they generate, there’s a natural push toward efficiency, development, and accountability,” he said.
The legal luminary concluded that the time has come for Nigeria to embrace a structure that reflects its diversity and regional strengths. “A decentralised system won’t just address separatist movements it will reposition the country for real development.”
As calls for restructuring grow louder across different regions, Professor Gidado’s voice adds intellectual and constitutional weight to a national conversation that is both timely and necessary.
