Former Commonwealth Secretary General and respected elder statesman, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has reiterated his call for Nigeria to embrace true federalism, cautioning that the nation’s continued existence may be imperilled if it persists with its centralised constitutional framework.
Speaking at the 14th edition of the Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance, held in Enugu, Anyaoku insisted that only a democratic constitution that acknowledges and accommodates Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity can safeguard its unity and future.
Recalling the early post-independence years, Anyaoku emphasised that Nigeria was once more peaceful and enjoyed more rapid development when it operated under a genuinely federal system.
He noted that, during the first six years of independence, the four regional governments exercised considerable autonomy over key areas including development, social services, and internal security. Now 92 years old, Anyaoku warned that Nigeria’s current unitary arrangement has stifled progress, undermined good governance, and created the conditions for unrest.
Drawing parallels with other multi-ethnic states that have collapsed under the weight of unresolved internal divisions, he stressed that Nigeria must not follow the same path.
The lecture, themed “The Imperative of Good Governance: Nigeria in a Global Comparative Perspective,” brought together a range of eminent Nigerians who echoed Anyaoku’s concerns and championed urgent constitutional restructuring.
Chairing the occasion was retired Major General Ike Nwachukwu, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who denounced the centralised system as fundamentally flawed and unsuited to Nigeria’s complex makeup. He advocated for a return to federal principles, noting that only through genuine state autonomy can governance be localised and effective.
Nwachukwu also endorsed the creation of state police and community-based policing structures as well as a comprehensive reform of the educational system to produce a workforce tailored for national development.
Delivering the keynote address, Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, called for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s governance model. He argued that power must be significantly devolved to the grassroots and that the country must radically improve its leadership recruitment mechanisms.
According to Gambari, restructuring is essential not only to guarantee security and unity but also to rebuild public confidence in state institutions.
He further advocated for the cultivation of a new elite consensus committed to national development.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, who officially welcomed the gathering, underlined the importance of practical, people-focused leadership over empty political promises. He warned that the presence or absence of good governance often determines whether a state rises or declines.
Mbah insisted that intentions alone do not make effective leadership, and stressed that policies must centre on citizens’ welfare if genuine progress is to be achieved.
Hosted by the Youth Affairs International Foundation, the well-attended lecture series reignited national debate over Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The overwhelming consensus among speakers was that a reversion to true federalism remains the only viable path to preserving the nation’s fragile unity and unlocking its developmental potential.
