Federalism, political culture and the Question of Remaking Nigeria, Adedeji, Perspectives on Federalism

The practice of federalism in Nigeria had undergone different stages of structuring to resolve salient political issues. However, despite each change to the structure, the clamour for further change has not abated. Thus, bringing to the fore the question, are the issues affecting the practice of federalism rooted in the structural arrangement or with the attitude of the citizens towards the principles of federalism? This article, an exploratory study, interrogated the latter part of the question by examining the concept of federal political culture and its effect on the practice of federalism in the country. It analysed salient issues like Herders/farmers conflict and insecurity and complemented with a survey of 220 respondents. Preliminary evidence indicates the presence of a federal political culture among the citizens and concludes that remaking Nigeria lies in evolving policies that enhance this culture.