Abstract:
The abandonment of true federalism in Nigeria has led to the neglect and marginalization of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, where the bulk of the country’s wealth is produced through the exploration and exploitation of crude oil which is the colossus of Nigeria’s economic base. The people of this region have been agitating for fair share of the country’s wealth, the bulk of which comes from their region. This quasi model of federalism has not been able to address the socio-economic and developmental needs of this people inspite of their unquantifiable contribution towards the development of the entire nation. This paper makes a critical analysis of Nigeria’s federalism in the context of unabated frequent call for resource control and the resultant crisis in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This is done by examining the evolution of Nigeria: challenges of Nigeria’s federalism; and the root causes of the Niger-Delta crisis. After drawing conclusion from the literature reviewed, the paper will make some vital recommendations.
