Adewumi Falode, professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at LASU
A professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at Lagos State University (LASU), Adewumi Falode, has warned that federalism will remain ineffective in Nigeria unless it is adapted to the country’s historical and educational realities. He delivered the position during the university’s 115th inaugural lecture in Lagos.
Falode argued that Nigeria operates an alien and costly democratic model that has failed to deliver inclusive governance or develop the civic culture required for a functional federal system. He said decades of political misalignment stem from leaders who ignored the foundational principles of federalism and failed to refine it to fit local conditions.
Tracing Nigeria’s evolution since independence, he explained that regional politics, ethnic dominance and a poorly domesticated parliamentary system weakened national cohesion. These structural gaps, he noted, disrupted the First Republic and have continued to affect subsequent administrations.
Falode stressed that civic education, historical awareness and institutional reforms are critical to rebuilding a functional federation.
He maintained that Nigeria must redesign its federal framework, strengthen citizen participation, and anchor governance on locally relevant principles to correct longstanding political fractures and build a stable state.
