Renowned constitutional lawyer Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has argued against creating additional states in Nigeria, describing most existing states as economically unviable under the current federal structure.
Speaking during a campaign organised by his law firm in Abuja, the senior advocate attributed Nigeria’s governance challenges to what he called a “skewed federal system” that operates like a unitary government.
Ozekhome criticised the 1999 Constitution as an outdated military-era document that concentrates excessive power at the centre while overburdening the federal government with responsibilities.
He proposed a radical restructuring that would replace the current state system with six geopolitical regions operating as semi-autonomous governments under a parliamentary system. “Rather than create more states, we should collapse the present structure into regional governments that can foster development through healthy competition,” he stated.
The legal luminary lamented Nigeria’s over-reliance on monthly federal allocations, noting that states have become mere distribution centres rather than productive entities.
He highlighted the irony of mineral-rich states like Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and Kaduna remaining economically stagnant despite their vast natural resources, while the nation depends solely on declining oil revenues.
While advocating for regional governance, Mike Ozekhome suggested that if states must be retained, Nigeria should adopt a two-tier federal structure with states as federating units and local governments administered by states. He made an exception for the South East region, however, acknowledging the need to create one additional state there to achieve geopolitical balance with other zones.
The constitutional expert’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about Nigeria’s federal structure, with many stakeholders calling for constitutional reforms to address growing economic and security challenges across the country. His proposal for regional governance echoes historical models that preceded Nigeria’s current state-based system.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
