The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s political and economic system, warning that excessive concentration of power and resources at the centre is weakening productivity and frustrating development across the country.
Igali made the submission during an interview on AIT’s Democracy Today, where he examined the state of the Nigerian federation, infrastructure development, regional inequality and the challenges confronting the country’s economic growth.
The former diplomat argued that Nigeria’s present system has created excessive dependence on the Federal Government, with states and local governments increasingly relying on monthly allocations rather than developing productive economic bases.
According to him, Nigeria’s founding fathers adopted a federal structure because they understood that the country’s diverse regions needed sufficient autonomy and incentives to develop according to their individual strengths.
He maintained that the country gradually moved away from that arrangement following years of military rule and the centralisation of political and economic authority.
Igali said Nigeria must revisit the structure of the federation and redistribute responsibilities and resources in a manner that would encourage states and local governments to become more productive.
He also advocated greater decentralisation of governance and security, including the possibility of state policing, arguing that Nigeria’s size and diversity make it difficult for a single central security structure to adequately address the security needs of every community.
The PANDEF chairman stressed that restructuring should not be interpreted as a call for the breakup of Nigeria.
Rather, he said, the objective should be to create a system that allows the different parts of the country to develop while remaining within a united federation.
Igali’s position comes amid renewed concerns over the poor state of infrastructure in the South-South region, particularly the major road networks linking communities and states.
He has repeatedly criticised what PANDEF considers inadequate federal investment in the region, despite the South-South’s strategic contribution to Nigeria’s oil and gas economy.
Speaking recently on the deteriorating condition of roads across the region, Igali described the situation as approaching a crisis, warning that poor connectivity was hurting businesses, commuters and the wider economy.
He particularly expressed concern over major routes linking Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, saying the condition of several roads has made movement within the region increasingly difficult.
Igali argued that the South-South should not be treated merely as a source of revenue for the country but should receive infrastructure commensurate with its contribution to the national economy.
“We are the goose that lays the golden egg, but that goose has almost been starved,” he said in a recent intervention on the region’s infrastructure challenges.
PANDEF had earlier raised concern over the Federal Executive Council’s approval of about N3.9 trillion for major road projects, arguing that the South-South was largely excluded from the allocation.
Igali described the situation as troubling, insisting that the region’s infrastructure deficit had reached a point where urgent federal intervention was required.
He has also maintained that the solution to Nigeria’s developmental challenges goes beyond the construction of roads and other physical infrastructure.
According to him, the country must restore incentives for production by allowing states and local governments to identify and develop their comparative economic advantages.
He urged Nigerians to see their diversity as an opportunity for development rather than a source of division, stressing that the country’s different ethnic, religious and regional identities should provide a basis for dialogue and cooperation.
Igali said Nigerians themselves must play a central role in determining the future structure of the federation, rather than leaving the debate exclusively in the hands of politicians.
He called for sustained national dialogue on constitutional reform, fiscal federalism, security and the distribution of responsibilities among the three tiers of government.
The PANDEF chairman maintained that Nigeria has the human and natural resources required to become a prosperous country, but warned that the present structure must be reformed if those resources are to be effectively harnessed.
He therefore urged Nigerians to focus on building a federation where every region has the opportunity and responsibility to produce, develop and contribute to national growth.
Igali’s latest intervention adds to the growing debate over restructuring and devolution of powers in Nigeria, coming at a time when concerns over infrastructure, insecurity, unemployment and the country’s dependence on federal revenue continue to dominate national discourse.
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