Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has called for a radical shift in Nigeria’s governance framework, advocating for a departure from the Western-style democratic model that has failed to deliver stability, development, and national cohesion.
This was disclosed in a statement yesterday signed by him, tagged: “Reimagining Governance in Nigeria: A Post-Western Democratic Framework.”
According to Dr. Agbakoba, the adversarial nature of the current system has intensified divisions, enabled systemic corruption, and hindered meaningful development.
He believes that the Western democratic model has faltered in Nigeria due to its inability to address the country’s unique socio-political and economic challenges.
Dr. Agbakoba posited that Nigeria’s democratic struggles are linked to the adopted Western capitalist model, where returns on political capital vastly outweigh returns on development.
He noted that the Nigerian economy is extractive, with no incentive for genuine development, and argues that for meaningful development to occur, the return on development must exceed the return on political rewards.
As an alternative, Dr. Agbakoba proposes cooperative federalism and consociational democracy, which could provide immense benefits.
According to him, cooperative federalism would allow states and the federal government to collaboratively develop infrastructure and natural resources, while consociational democracy would ensure representation and protection of minority interests.
Dr. Agbakoba emphasized the need to retain national unity while devolving substantial power to the regions and adopting economic incentives that reward development over extraction.
He cited the 1963 Republican Constitution as a valuable reference point, where regions leveraged their comparative advantages to drive development.
According to Dr. Agbakoba, Nigeria’s future lies in creatively adapting governance systems that reflect its historical experience, cultural diversity, and developmental aspirations, rather than blindly replicating Western models.
He believes that the time for this reimagining is now, and that a new governance framework is essential for the country’s progress.
He said: “A reimagined Nigerian governance framework should retain national unity on matters of common interest. But substantial power should devolve to the regions. Most importantly, economic incentives that reward development over extraction must be adopted.
“The 1963 Republican Constitution, which allowed regions to express their unique identities while contributing to national development, offers valuable lessons. The South produced cocoa, the North groundnut, and the East palm oil—each region leveraging its comparative advantages.
“Nigeria’s future lies not in blindly replicating Western models but in creatively adapting governance systems that reflect our historical experience, cultural diversity, and developmental aspirations. The time for this reimagining is now. Out with the Western model of democracy and capitalism!”
