By Sandra Kenneth
The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s political and economic framework, warning that the excessive centralization of power and resources at the federal level is crippling productivity and stalling regional growth.
Speaking with journalists on the state of the Nigerian federation, infrastructural deficits, and economic inequality, the veteran diplomat argued that the current political structure has fostered an unhealthy dependency model. According to Igali, states and local government councils have largely abandoned internal economic generation in favor of monthly allocations from the federal purse.
“Nigeria’s founding fathers deliberately adopted a federal system because they recognized that our regional diversity required political autonomy and localized economic incentives to thrive,” Igali stated. He noted that decades of military rule systematically eroded this original arrangement by concentrating authority in Abuja.
To reverse this economic stagnation, the PANDEF chieftain urged the Federal Government to redistribute administrative responsibilities and resources, thereby compelling sub-national governments to cultivate their native economic bases.
Addressing the country’s heightened security challenges, Ambassador Igali further advocated for decentralized policing. He stressed that Nigeria’s vast territory and cultural diversity render a single, centralized security apparatus ineffective for addressing localized threats across the federation.
