Elder statesman and former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku has warned that Nigeria might disintegrate if it continues under its current centralised structure.
According to him, a new democratic constitution that reflects Nigeria’s diversity can save it from the fate of other multi-ethnic states that have collapsed under similar strain.
He stated this at the 14th Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance in Enugu on Tuesday.
“This country was more peaceful and developing faster in the first six years of our independence because it had a genuine federal constitution.
“Each of the four regions had autonomy over their development, social services, and internal security,” he said.
Anyaoku, 92, stressed that Nigeria’s unitary constitution has hindered good governance and national development, reiterating that without a structural overhaul, the nation remains at risk.
“Other multi-ethnic countries that failed to address their pluralism through federalism have since disintegrated. Nigeria must not continue along this path,” he warned.
The event, with the theme “The Imperative of Good Governance: Nigeria in a Global Comparative Perspective”, also featured other prominent voices calling for constitutional restructuring.
The well-attended lecture series, hosted by the Youth Affairs International Foundation, reignited a national conversation on Nigeria’s constitutional future, with a resounding consensus that only true federalism can preserve its unity and ensure progress.
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