Stonner 💨

PRESS RELEASE NIGERIA AT 66: A TIME FOR SOBER REFLECTION AND A NEW FEDERAL COMPACT For Immediate Release October 2, 2026 THINK YORÙBÁ FIRST: RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA INTO A UNITED STATES OF NIGERIA As Nigeria marks 66 years of independence, Think Yorùbá First calls for sober reflection on the political structure of the country and the future of the many nations and peoples that constitute it. Nigeria is a country of many nations, languages, cultures, histories and identities. Six decades of experience have demonstrated the need to build a political system that recognises this reality and gives its constituent peoples the space and authority to govern their own affairs. The future of Nigeria lies in genuine federalism and meaningful autonomy. Think Yorùbá First advocates the restructuring of Nigeria along ethnolinguistic and cultural lines, creating autonomous constituent units with the constitutional authority to govern their internal affairs, develop their economies, preserve their identities and determine their own developmental priorities. We envision a United States of Nigeria — a country in which its constituent nations retain substantial autonomy while working together through a federal structure for matters of common interest. AUTONOMOUS CONSTITUENT NATIONS Under such an arrangement, the constituent units should have their own constitutions and institutions of government, with clearly defined powers protected by the federal constitution. They should have substantial authority over: * Internal governance and administration; * Economic development and resource management; * Education and cultural policy; * Infrastructure and regional development; * Local and regional security; * The preservation and promotion of indigenous languages, cultures and institutions; and * Cooperation and economic arrangements with other constituent units. The constituent units should also have the capacity to organise appropriate security structures for the protection of their people and territories, within a clearly defined constitutional framework. Autonomy does not mean separation. It means that communities have meaningful control over matters that directly affect their lives while cooperating with others where common interests require collective action. A FEDERAL CENTRE FOR THE COMMON GOOD The federal centre should be responsible for matters that genuinely require collective action across the country. These may include national defence, foreign affairs, currency, interstate matters and other responsibilities expressly entrusted to the federal government by the constituent units. The principle should be simple: What can be decided closer to the people should not be decided from the centre. The federal government should coordinate the common interests of the constituent units rather than exercise unnecessary control over their internal affairs. The constituent units would contribute an agreed share of their resources to maintain the federal institutions and responsibilities that they collectively choose to retain. UNITY WITHOUT UNIFORMITY The peoples of Nigeria do not have to abandon their identities in order to live together in one country. The Yorùbá, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Kanuri, Tiv, Edo, Ibibio, Efik, Nupe, Gbagyi and the many other ethnolinguistic peoples of the country have distinct histories and identities that deserve political and constitutional recognition. A functioning federation should provide room for these identities to flourish. Unity should be built through cooperation, not uniformity. A United States of Nigeria would allow its constituent nations to develop according to their circumstances while maintaining a common political and economic framework. A NEW CONSTITUTIONAL SETTLEMENT What Nigeria requires is not another adjustment to an excessively centralised system, but a new constitutional settlement.