FEDERALISM AND THE NIGER DELTA STRUGGLE FOR RESOURCE CONTROL IN NIGERIA

Nigeria adopted federalism as a means of managing her diverse and often conflicting ethno-cultural diversities. Without doubt, this may have resulted in some positive achievement. Over the years, the issue of resource control has been the major problem confronting the smooth practice of federalism. The prominence of Niger Delta in Nigeria is premised on its strategic relevance and resource endowment. Since the discovery of oil in large quantity, the region remains the preferred destination for foreign direct investment. The abandonment of true federalism in Nigeria has led to the neglect and marginalization of people of Niger Delta region of Nigeria and this led to the agitation for resource control. The secondary source was used to gather information for the study. The study reveals that from 1954 when Nigeria embrace federalism, the polity has been wallowing from one problem to the other, thereby making national cohesion a mirage/ Nigerias federal system is highly centralized in all its ramifications. The Nigeria federalism has refused sincere restructuring of the country along nationalities and this has led to the consistent nationality question because the current arrangement lacks physical equity. The study therefore suggests that, there should be massive state infrastructural development of the Niger Delta area to reflect the magnitude of oil resource exploited from the region by the federal government