Nigeria’s challenges are not only economic or security problems, they are also problems of how the government is structured, how institutions work and how power is exercised.
Too much authority remains concentrated at the centre. Institutions do not always have the powers or accountability needed to perform effectively. And citizens too often encounter a government that is difficult to navigate and difficult to hold to account.
Resetting Nigeria’s socio-political system means building stronger institutions, a more functional federation and a government that is accountable to the people.
We will focus on three things.
Nigeria is a federation. Our system of government should function like one.
We will pursue greater devolution of powers so that responsibilities that can be handled more effectively by states do not remain unnecessarily concentrated at the Federal Government.
This includes examining the balance of responsibility over areas such as security, natural resources and other matters where states need sufficient authority to respond to their own circumstances.
We have consistently argued publicly for greater devolution of powers and fiscal federalism.
Nigeria does not need strong men; we need strong institutions.
Institutions should have clear responsibilities, appropriate authority and systems that continue to work regardless of who occupies a particular position.
We will focus on strengthening institutions, clarifying responsibility and removing structural obstacles that prevent different levels of government from performing the functions Nigerians expect of them.
The objective is simple: the government should work because the system works.
Public office is a responsibility to the people.
The government should be able to explain what it is doing, what public resources are being used for and whether policies are producing the results promised.
We will strengthen systems for transparency, measurement and accountability so that Nigerians have better information with which to assess the performance of the government.
Accountability should not begin and end at elections.
In Oyo State, one example of the limitations of Nigeria’s present structure emerged after the Bodija explosion, where questions around the regulation and control of mining-related activities highlighted the practical consequences of responsibilities being divided between federal and state authorities.
The experience reinforced the case for reviewing whether states have sufficient regulatory powers to deal effectively with activities taking place within their territories.
