NIM blames poor development on governance structure

OVER-CENTRALISED federal system, misconception of restructuring and fiscal resources control, are amongst formidable factors that are inhibiting the development of Nigeria, the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) has said.

Experts at the NIM colloquium on structure and organisational performance in Lagos recently, submitted that for many years, the debate for restructuring has attained the same level of prominence and intensity as those on the economy, insecurity, and politics.

In a paper presented by an independent scholar, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun on Nigeria’s over-centralised system and poor performance opined that Nigeria over-centralised federal system is a major explanatory factor for its poor development performance.

While providing evidence of overcentralisation of power, Adamolekun said the concentration of powers at the centre under successive military rulers resulted from the alignment of the exercise of political authority with the military’s unitary command structure, where political parties were prohibited, elected assemblies were dissolved, and military diktats were superior to the rule of law.

He however advised Nigeria to adopt a devolved federal system in which powers and resources that are currently concentrated at the centre are devolved to the sub-national levels and reconfiguring the constituent units of the federation to ensure a more balanced system.

On restructuring, Prof. Nasiru Musa Yauri of Usman Dan Fodio University in his paper said restructuring is about devolution of power and the clamour to change Nigeria’s federal structure in a manner that weakens the center to make the confederating units stronger.