By Sola Fanawopo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu divides opinions on several issues. In a country as heterogeneous as ours, that is to be expected. However, there is one area where views are likely to unify: his burgeoning legacy as the quiet rebuilder of Nigerian federalism.
While past presidents often only appreciated the need to dismantle the behemoth federal structure after leaving office, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for instance, only became a vocal activist for state policing in retirement, President Tinubu is acting while in power.
By strategically leveraging his party’s dominance in the National Assembly and the Governors’ Forum, he is proving that a willing leader can navigate the existing system to drive structural reform.
For decades, “True Federalism” was a convenient campaign slogan, a rhetorical carrot dangled but never tasted. Today, the administration is shifting from political posturing to institutional surgery. Moving away from the “Big Brother” centralist model, PBAT is cementing a legacy as a Federalist who understands that a nation of 200 million cannot be effectively governed from a single street in Abuja.
This is not a loud, radical revolution; it is a gradual, assured dismantling of over-centralization. Here is how the blueprint is unfolding:
1. Decentralizing Infrastructure: Rail and Power
The constitutional migration of Railway Systems and Electricity (Generation, Distribution, and Regulation) from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List is a watershed moment.
The Impact: States are no longer bystanders in their own development. By granting states the power to build rail networks and manage their own energy markets, the federal government has removed the primary bottlenecks to regional industrialization.
2. Financial Liberation of the Grassroots:
The pursuit of Local Government (LG) Autonomy is perhaps the most audacious move in recent democratic history. By championing the legal enforcement of direct funding to LGs, the administration is effectively cutting the “umbilical cord” of dependency that allowed State Governors to stifle local development.
The Shift: When funds hit local accounts directly, the excuse of “state interference” vanishes, placing the burden of accountability squarely on local chairmen.
3. Regionalism as an Engine for Growth:
The establishment and empowerment of Regional Development Agencies (such as the South East, North West, and South West Development Commissions) mark a return to the “Regional Productivity” model of the 1960s. Instead of 36 states begging for individual attention, these agencies allow for:
• Economies of Scale: Infrastructure projects that cross state lines become easier to fund and execute.
• Tailored Solutions: Addressing the specific ecological or security challenges of the Sahel requires a different toolkit than the erosion-prone South East.
4. The Security Shift: State Policing:
The conversation around State Police has moved from “if” to “how.” By engaging the National Economic Council and state governors, PBAT is acknowledging a fundamental truth: security is local.
• The Federalist Edge: A decentralized force allows for better intelligence and faster response, recognizing that a constable from Sokoto may not be the most effective peacekeeper in the creeks of Bayelsa.
5. Fiscal Federalism: Gaming and Lottery:
A subtle but significant victory was the recent affirmation of State control over gaming and lottery businesses. This shifts regulatory and tax-collection power from the federal center back to the states.
• Economic Sovereignty: This reinforces the principle that the federal government should not be preoccupied with “micro-regulating” local businesses, providing states with much-needed Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
My Verdict: A Legacy of Structural Integrity
PBAT’s federalist legacy is not being built on a single “Grand Proclamation,” but through the steady devolution of power. By empowering states to police themselves, regions to develop themselves, and local governments to fund themselves, the administration is laying the tracks for a resilient, bottom-up democracy.
The “Lagos Blueprint”, which turned a state into a self-sustaining powerhouse, is being scaled to the national level. If these reforms hold, PBAT’s greatest contribution will not just be the policies he signed, but the power he gave back.
Sola Fanawopo writes from Igbajo
