Political Restructuring as a Tool for Enhancing Development and Managing Insecurity Arising from Ethno-Religious Diversity in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is a plural society comprising people from diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious identities. These diversities have always influenced political decisions. There is a rising perception of lopsidedness in making political decisions in Nigeria. Therefore, political restructuring has been one of Nigeria's most pressing national issues over the last decade. Nigeria currently operates a federal system in which the federal government wields enormous power while the federating units serve as mere subordinates. There are calls from certain quarters for the country's political restructuring. To fully determine the foregoing, the study used historical research methodology, in which existing data on political restructuring were thoroughly reviewed. This allowed the researcher to examine the restructuring debate in the light of Nigeria's cultural and ethnic identities which has highlighted ethnic and religious diversity. The inability to positively tap from these diversities is causing insecurity within the country and is hampering the development of Nigeria. In the context of this study, political restructuring refers to the decentralization of political power in the country in order to ensure political balance among various ethnic and religious groups. According to the findings, the fundamental issues that prompted the call for restructuring include ethnic diversity, religious pluralism, and marginalization in the country's political equation. These have fueled ethno-religious conflicts and insecurity that have ravaged the development of the country. As a result, the paper suggests a political structure in which the federating units are given the authority to manage their affairs in accordance with their ethnic and religious affiliations.