President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria is poised to receive a pivotal draft bill on Friday that advocates for a return to Nigeria’s regional governance system.
The proposed legislation, authored by Akin Fapohunda of Afenifere, outlines sweeping reforms aimed at restructuring the nation’s governance framework.
In a statement to newsmen, Fapohunda disclosed, “I’m submitting my letter (draft bill) today but I will wait for seven days before releasing it to the public.”
The draft bill titled “A Bill for an Act to substitute the annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria Act 2024” seeks to establish eight geopolitical regions with interim boundaries. These include the Southern Region encompassing states like Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross River, with provisions for optional inclusion of various ethnic groups.
Fapohunda further detailed, “The South Eastern region consists of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. The Western region comprises Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Ekiti States, incorporating the Yoruba-speaking people in Kogi and the Igbomina people in Kwara State.”
The proposal advocates for a two-tier governmental structure with federal and regional levels, empowering regions to autonomously manage their affairs and create sub-entities as per their constitutional frameworks.
Moreover, the bill suggests a reconfiguration of the current administrative setup, converting states into provinces and local government areas into divisions to reduce administrative costs and enhance development focus.
Fapohunda emphasized, “The proposal includes a uni-camera federal legislature with members elected by their respective regions, reducing the number of federal ministries to a maximum of nine, similar to other federal systems globally.”
The draft bill, set to be delivered to President Tinubu, represents a significant move towards decentralizing federal power, fostering regional autonomy, and streamlining governance for enhanced efficiency and development across Nigeria.
