Gabriel Izokpu Oikhala, Dauda Momodu Giwah

Federal character policy implementation and governance in Nigeria

Introduction

Federal character policy implementation and governance in nigeria . Explore Nigeria's Federal Character Policy implementation and its impact on governance. This paper reveals how the policy, meant for unity, was hijacked by ethno-regional patrons, deepening national crisis.

Abstract

Against the backdrop that the crisis of governance in Nigeria will be resolved with adoption of equitable representation of people from their various tribes to participate in public service; the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria introduced the Federal Character Policy. Even with this, Nigeria is still battling with politics of trying to conciliate the regional blocs to solve governance crisis. This paper examined the state of federal character policy in the governance process of Nigeria. The paper is theoretical in nature and it relied on data sourced from relevant textbooks, journals, newspapers, and other official records. Descriptive method was used to analyse the data. Using the participation approach as theoretical framework, the paper found out that the federal character policy was good to protect the interest of minority groups, and promote national patriotism and unity in diversity. The paper also found out that the federal character policy was badly implemented as it was hijacked by ethno-regional patrons in the North, South and East to serve their selfish interests which have deepened the governance crisis in Nigeria. The paper concluded that the federal character policy has not been implemented to improve governance process Nigeria. It recommended among others that Nigeria should have leadership that will not allow the federal character policy to be hijacked by one or a few ethno-regional patrons to pursue their selfish interests.

Review

The paper, "Federal character policy implementation and governance in Nigeria," addresses a critical and persistent challenge in Nigerian politics: the nexus between equitable representation and governance stability. Driven by the premise that the 1979 Federal Character Policy aimed to resolve governance crises through tribal representation, the study theoretically examines its actual impact. Employing a participation approach and relying on secondary data, the paper succinctly highlights a dichotomy: while the policy inherently serves to protect minority interests and foster national unity, its implementation has been severely compromised. The core finding reveals that the policy has been regrettably hijacked by ethno-regional patrons across Nigeria, leading to a deepening of the very governance crisis it was designed to mitigate. This paper makes a valuable contribution by shedding light on the disjuncture between the noble intentions behind the Federal Character Policy and its detrimental practical application. Its strength lies in clearly articulating how a policy designed to foster inclusivity and national cohesion has, in practice, been subverted to serve parochial interests, thereby exacerbating ethno-regional tensions. The theoretical framework, utilizing the participation approach, is appropriate for analyzing the dynamics of representation and inclusion (or exclusion) within the governance structure. The paper's reliance on a broad array of secondary data sources – including textbooks, journals, and official records – provides a solid foundation for its descriptive and theoretical analysis, underscoring the pervasive nature of the problem. While the paper effectively diagnoses a critical problem and offers a pertinent recommendation for ethical leadership, a deeper exploration of *how* the policy was hijacked by specific ethno-regional patrons, beyond simply "selfish interests," would have further strengthened its analytical depth. For a purely theoretical paper, the "descriptive method" of data analysis, while mentioned, could benefit from more explicit examples or case illustrations to ground its theoretical claims, even if based on existing literature. Future research could expand upon this foundation by offering comparative insights from other federations grappling with similar quota systems, or by proposing more specific institutional reforms that could guard against policy capture. Nevertheless, this paper serves as a timely and important reminder of the challenges in translating well-intentioned policy into effective governance, making it a relevant read for scholars and policymakers alike.

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