A professor of Political and Administrative Management, Ladipo Adamolekun, has identified Nigeria’s over-centralisation of its federal system as a major drawback in its quest for speedy economic and political development.
 
Speaking on the mantra, “devolve or die,” Adamolekun referenced contemporary developing nations whose strategy of power devolution to constituent governments has contributed to their progress.  He argued that Nigeria’s power devolution has become imperative given its struggles with underdevelopment and weak institutions.
 
The position was contained in his book, Reflections on Governance and Development in Nigeria, presented to the media in Akure, the Ondo State capital. He, therefore, urged President Bola Tinubu to use the same method he used to effect National Anthem change to ensure the reallocation of functions and resources between the central and subnational governments in the country.

“Specifically, I would recommend a 35:65 share for the central and subnational governments respectively, with respect to both powers and resources. Of course, the proposed percentages of sharing would be subject to debate. However, to ensure a peaceful and well-performing Nigerian federal system, the share of subnational governments must be significantly higher than that of the central government with respect to both powers and resources.
 
“Can Nigeria’s regions/states be meaningfully developed from Abuja where most powers and resources are concentrated? The obvious honest answer is No. Among the existing 25 federations on the planet, there is no example of any that has recorded good development performance through the concentration of powers and resources at the central government level. This testimony on the Indian experience is apposite: “A big part of India’s success has come from devolving power to the country’s state governments. What happens at the centre is of correspondingly less importance,” the don submitted.