By Pastor Yemi Olayinka, Ph.D
Nigeria stands today at a defining crossroads. While the nation has recorded notable progress under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the deeper question remains whether we are prepared to confront the foundational defects that continue to threaten our unity and long-term stability.
I write as a concerned citizen who believes firmly in the President’s sincerity, courage and commitment to the Nigerian project. There is little doubt that President Tinubu means well for the country, and early indications suggest that he possesses the political will to make difficult but necessary decisions.
However, the current political atmosphere, particularly the growing discontent and body language from certain quarters of the country, is deeply troubling. The tension is palpable, and the implications for national cohesion cannot be ignored. This administration represents the first time a southerner assumed power without being the preferred choice of the entrenched northern political establishment. That reality alone has reshaped the dynamics of power in Nigeria.
President Tinubu’s independence and refusal to govern as a puppet has unsettled interests that have long thrived on a centralised system designed primarily for power retention rather than development. For such interests, reform is not merely inconvenient — it is unacceptable.
To his credit, the President has embarked on far-reaching economic reforms. The removal of fuel subsidy ended a decades-long drain on national resources. The unification of the foreign exchange market, though painful in the short term, is aimed at long-term macroeconomic stability. Major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Highway point to an inclusive development vision across the geo-political zones.
Equally commendable are interventions in social welfare and human capital development. The Nigerian Education Loan Scheme has broadened access to tertiary education through interest-free loans, while the new ₦70,000 minimum wage signals a commitment to improving workers’ welfare.
Yet, economic reforms alone cannot secure Nigeria’s future. Without addressing the structural imbalance at the heart of the federation, these gains remain fragile. What Nigeria urgently requires is true federalism.
True federalism entails a constitutional division of powers among the federal, state and local governments, with each tier enjoying genuine autonomy within clearly defined responsibilities. Such a system strengthens unity, promotes accountability and reflects the country’s diversity. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s present arrangement falls short of this ideal.
Even recent judicial pronouncements, including the Supreme Court’s decision on local government autonomy, appear to have made little practical impact. One is left to wonder whether such landmark rulings have been quietly swept aside.
The roots of Nigeria’s structural problem lie in the pre-independence era. The political arrangement handed down at independence was deliberately skewed. The Northern Region was made larger than the other regions combined, accounting for a majority of the population and legislative seats. This imbalance, a product of colonial divide-and-rule tactics, entrenched dominance at the centre and violated the very principles of federalism.
These flaws were not unknown at the time. Minority groups across the southern regions agitated for more autonomous regions long before independence. Leaders such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo advocated the creation of additional regions to address minority fears. The Sir Henry Willink Minority Commission acknowledged the legitimacy of these concerns and recommended structural adjustments. Sadly, those recommendations were ignored for expediency, leaving Nigeria with a faulty foundation.
More than six decades after independence, the consequences of that failure remain with us. As the Bible aptly states in Psalm 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Nigeria’s foundation requires urgent repair.
Mr President, the time for half-measures has passed. The current structure is no longer sustainable in a diverse and complex society like ours. Restructuring is not a threat to unity; it is the pathway to preserving it.
You have confronted formidable challenges in the past and emerged victorious. History now presents you with another defining test. Beyond economic reforms, you have the rare opportunity to write your name in gold by delivering a truly federal Nigeria.
The time is now. Posterity is watching.
