Federalism, Democracy and Restructuring in Nigeria: The Niger Delta Experience

Abstract

This study investigated federalism, democracy and restructuring in Nigeria with emphasis on the Niger Delta Region. The continued agitation by some ethnic groups in Nigeria is an indication that all is not well with Nigerian federalism. There are numerous calls for political restructuring to give sense of belonging to all the diverse elements that made up the Nigeria state. However, these agitations have not yielded the desires goal. The study adopted the Marxian political economy theory as its theoretical framework. It situated the clamour for political restructuring especially from the Niger Delta region on the sub-structure; economy. Secondary source of data was utilised for the study; it involved the collection of data from sources such as textbooks, seminar papers and magasines amongs others. The study found that the Niger Delta region is riddled with numerous socio-economic challenges despites the huge financial contribution of the region to national coffer. The study, therefore, recommends that the 2014 National Conference (CONFAB) should be implemented to give every ethnic groups and segments within the Nigeria federal system a sense of belonging.