African Development Bank Group President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has proposed changing the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to 'The United States of Nigeria'.
In a lecture delivered as the recipient of the 2024 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership, Adesina explained that the change in name would shift the relationship between the states and government in Abuja. He argued that the states should be the fulcrum, with the centre supporting them instead of exerting control over them.
Adesina also called for constitutional changes to devolve more economic and fiscal powers to the states, stating that the stronger they are, the stronger the federation will be. He emphasised the need for economic and financial viability as the basis for political viability and urged for bold decisions to be made to restructure Nigeria.
Adesina highlighted the burden placed on Nigerian citizens, who often have to provide basic services themselves due to government or institutional failures. He suggested that changing the governance system and decentralising power to the states would allow for greater autonomy and improved welfare and people-centred policies.
Adesina further stated that states have the potential to become financially autonomous through fiscal prudence and leveraging their resources. This would enable them to access capital markets and reduce reliance on federal government grants.