Project Abstract

Abstract
The movement of political restructuring in Nigeria has gained significant momentum in recent years, driven by various socio-political factors. This research explores the historical context of Nigeria's political structure and the evolution of calls for restructuring. It delves into the key drivers behind the movement, including issues of resource control, fiscal federalism, ethnic diversity, and power distribution. The study examines the diverse perspectives on political restructuring held by different regions and ethnic groups within Nigeria, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved in reaching a consensus. Furthermore, the research investigates the implications of political restructuring on governance, democracy, and socio-economic development in Nigeria. It analyzes the potential benefits and drawbacks of implementing restructuring measures, considering factors such as administrative efficiency, resource allocation, and conflict resolution. The study also explores the role of political actors, civil society organizations, and the international community in shaping the discourse on restructuring and influencing policy decisions. Moreover, the research assesses the prospects for successful political restructuring in Nigeria, taking into account historical precedents, constitutional frameworks, and public opinion. It examines the feasibility of various restructuring models, such as regional autonomy, devolution of powers, and constitutional amendments, and evaluates their potential impact on national unity and stability. The study also considers the challenges posed by vested interests, political resistance, and institutional inertia to the implementation of restructuring reforms. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive analysis of the movement of political restructuring in Nigeria, drawing on historical, political, and socio-economic perspectives. It provides insights into the drivers, implications, and prospects of restructuring initiatives, offering recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers interested in advancing the debate on political reform in Nigeria. By shedding light on the complexities and opportunities inherent in the restructuring process, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of governance and democracy in Nigeria and the broader implications for political development in Africa.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
During Nigerian independence in 1960, the culture of political orientation and parliamentarianism was transmissible by the British (Jaga, 1996). Before 1960, the assorted constitutional changes from 1922-1960 contributed in setting a firm foundation for Nigerian federal structure. The unitary structure that was established in 1914 had bit by bit metamorphosed into a three regional structure with a weak central government in 1960, four regions in 1963. Historically speaking, the diiculty of state creation in Nigeria started so much back as 1963, once the Midwest geographic area was sliced out of the previous Western Region by the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa administration. In 1967 the country was further divided into twelve states by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon. This progressive increase within the range of territorial units continued in 1976 once the Murtala Administration created an additional seven states, making the total of states nineteen.
Between 1987 and 1991, General Babangida in two separate exercises, created eleven extra states, conveyance the full up to thirty states. And in 1996, the Abacha administration created six more states to make the territorial units of the country thirty six. Nigeria has undergone a protracted method of restructuring in terms of the number of geo-political body units constituting the polity. This method is popularly referred to as “state creation” and/or “reorganization” the method whereby new geo-political units/constituents referred to as “states” in most federations is created out of existing or old ones. The result of this method is sometimes a rise within the range of states constituting the Nigerian federation. In trying to trace the history and politics of state creation in Nigeria, scholarly opinions vary widely, virtually occasioning confusion, with explicit reference to the temporal order of the primary exercise. A serious means that of evaluating the extent of civilization or
civic of contemporary political systems are the extent and extent to that they’re well-organized. The political organization of states most frequently, reflects the structure of governmental authority, level of body potency and therefore the attendant power relations. Supported the structure, it’s convenient to see the extent to that authority is spread or focused in a very explicit social group. This dynamic face of Nigeria’s federal structure went at the same time with changes within the distribution schemes that were embedded in past constitutions or decrees.
These changes within the federal arrangements also conjointly caused further decentralization of governmental functions to the constituents units in the federation. This successfully influenced the follow of intergovernmental financial relations that is a lot more of concerning however the assorted tiers of government relates monetary within the execution of these function. Nigeria operates a federal political economy (federalism) implying a series of legal body relationships established among units of state possessing variable degrees of real authority and territorial autonomy (Anyanwu, 2005) ascertained, currently. The introduction of the 1946 constitution altered considerably the formal unitary structure living by introducing regionalism to the pattern of colonial administration in African country