From time to time, individuals, corporate entities as well as nation states usually take stock of their developmental trajectory. This presupposes that there comes a time when these entities review their developmental aspirations to ascertain if they have succeeded in their journey to greatness.

Nigeria as a nation state, cannot be the exception to the norm considering what the country has turned out to become since it secured independence from the British colonialists almost 65 years ago.

If any verdict is to be made considering how well we have fared, the current situation of things with regards to the parlous state of things calls to question the need to re-arrange our corporate governance structure in a manner that would engender progress, growth and development in a way that would put the country in good stead in the comity of nations.

Looking at the 1999 Constitution, it is no gainsaying the fact that the grand norm has not provided the right legal framework to guarantee the development and the progress of the country with many patriots urging a comprehensive surgical reworking of the Constitution to guarantee peace and development.  

This is a clarion call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hearken to the voice of reason which many patriots have continued to urge those in the officialdom to allow Nigerians fashion their own Constitution in a manner that would reflect their plurality.

Your Excellency, Nigeria needs a new governance framework and structure that is infused into a new constitution, upon which the forthcoming 2027 elections would be predicated. We urge you to hearken to our reasoned voices, in spite of all other considerations.

Respected patriots such as 92-year-old Chief Emeka Anyaoku, one of Nigeria’s very accomplished and well respected public servants alive, canvassed the need to urgently put in place a new constitution. Though, he had on several occasions stated this but in his address to the July 16, 2025 to the national summit by the patriots of eminent Nigerians, he unequivocally remarked that:

“As a background to this summit, it is important to state the following indisputable facts that are recognised by all our citizens, except, of course, those who would want to continue to live in denial. First, Nigeria is a pluralistic country, and like all successful pluralistic countries around the world, for its stability and maximal development, its constitution must address its pluralism by being formulated by elected representatives of its diverse peoples. Our present 1999 constitution, as amended, is not such a constitution.

“It was not democratically formulated. It was instead imposed on the country through a decree by the military administration, and the governance system derived from it is not only non-inclusive but also induces over-expenditure of the nation’s resources on administration, rather than on capital development.”

Dr Anyaoku’s position is even re-enforced by similar calls by many others who witnessed Nigeria’s steady descent from the path of developmental progress, rapid educational advancement, robust and committed public service both at federal and regional levels. They are seeing restructuring as a sure way to return to that golden era of public service and effective governance, regionally and at the centre.

It is in this wise that I am urging you to use your good offices to help put in place the necessary structures and processes that would eventually berth a new Constitution that would push the country forward and not backwards.

Your Excellency, I am of the view that the pre-1966 was not a perfect period; it had its peculiar problems of political and democratic evolution but however one looks at Nigeria today, it is unarguably in a much worse and more dangerous shape, compared to the strongly federalist process and era of democratic learning that the military boys suddenly destroyed in 1966.

In the new Nigeria that I envisage, I am proposing that every region, within its smaller, manageable-governance-space and enlarged policy possibilities, should anchor in its constitution, unambiguous clauses and provisions that are weighted in favour of the citizenry.

I mean clauses that make public office less attractive, except to those who seek office to ‘do something’ societally positive, rather than to ‘become somebody’ without contributing; clauses which allow for statutory and legally-prescribed citizens action, to challenge unjustified ostentation, self-indulgent benefits, sundry abuses of public- office privileges, etc. by both elected and appointed officials.

A Nigeria restructured is a Nigeria where the Central Government, along with its lower-level Federating Constituents, will, and must, be strong! A Nigeria where every level of government is strong but each level must be strong for the right reasons, and in the right areas of responsibility.

A Nigeria restructured is a Nigeria where every area, region or zone of the country will be able to devote more thinking time, conceptualisation, research, exploration and analysis to its mineral and agricultural resources, with a view to developing an economic value-chain from them, which is the first serious step towards the development of a manufacturing capacity across the country.

I regret to state that the current system, where leaders look forward to monthly allocations from Abuja has continued to accord no incentives to local leaders to look inward to explore available resources in their localities for wealth, which will make us the true economic giant that God has destined this country to be.

Under the new order that I envisage, it would be cruel and future-damaging, false help to the people of the North for the Federal Government to continuously lower pass-grades and qualification standards for children of the poor in that zone.

Instead, the northern elite and politicians are made to invest money in extra coaching, encouragement, monitoring and similar efforts to ensure that their own children meet and even surpass the academic-entry requirements into the best schools overseas.

In a truly restructured Nigeria, the negative effects of lowering academic and examination standards will very quickly become obvious and untenable among the people in the states and regions practicing this immorality, which offends the best of Islamic, Christian and indigenous ethics of justice, equality of opportunity and fairness.

Restructuring will therefore bring educational liberation to the millions of poor children in the North and everywhere who are funded by the Federal Government to wallow in under-achievement. In Yorubaland, even the poorest persons strive to provide extra-teaching and learning support to improve their children’s education. I advocate that a restructured Nigeria should aim for this type of effort to promote achievement among all of Nigeria’s children, regardless of socio-economic status.

The current Constitution has undergone various modifications, with about 39 amendments so far and I feel it is most unreasonable for any member of the National Assembly to contemplate the creation of 31 mind boggling new States. It is a joke taken too far for anyone to implicitly think of more executive governors, with access to security votes; the building of new state capitals, all predicated on national debts that are now over 50 per cent of GDP.

The latest amendments being bandied are codified in a 274-page document that are intended for incorporation into what is already almost 350 pages long constitution. What other evidence is there of an amalgam of patchwork that is beyond the reach and comprehension of citizens and I urge President Tinubu to discountenance the move.

We must not sleepwalk into 2027 elections with the present state of affairs as prescribed by the 1999 Constitution. Please authorise the prescribed enacting processes by the National Assembly, as being proposed by the Patriots of Eminent Nigerians towards the making of a new constitution and its proclamation after due consent by the citizens via a referendum.

Your Excellency, it is now incumbent on you as an advocate for restructuring to do the needful that divine providence has vantagely placed you where you are to do the right thing.
Time and tide waits for no one.

Professor Ishola is a Development Scientist based in Abuja.