Reported by Musa Antiketu, | Journalist at Obaland Magazine

Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has renewed calls for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s governance architecture, arguing that meaningful power devolution remains the most practical solution to the country’s persistent political, economic, and security challenges.

Speaking during a public engagement on governance and national development, Mimiko stressed that Nigeria’s current centralized federal structure has become increasingly ineffective in addressing the complex realities of Africa’s most populous nation. According to him, devolving greater constitutional powers to subnational governments would encourage accountability, improve public service delivery, deepen democracy, and unlock sustainable development across the federation.

The former governor anchored his position on the biblical “Jethro Principle,” a governance model drawn from the Old Testament in which Jethro advised Moses to delegate authority to capable leaders responsible for different administrative levels rather than concentrating all decision-making powers in one office.

Mimiko argued that the principle remains relevant in modern governance, particularly for a country as geographically vast, culturally diverse, and economically complex as Nigeria.

“No nation can effectively manage over 200 million people through excessive centralization. The solution lies in empowering states and local governments with genuine constitutional authority to address their peculiar developmental priorities,” he said.

Why Power Devolution Matters

Power devolution refers to the constitutional transfer of specific legislative, administrative, and fiscal responsibilities from the federal government to state or local governments.

For decades, Nigeria has operated a federal system in which significant powers including policing, mineral resources, electricity regulation, transportation, and aspects of taxation remain largely under federal control.

Governance experts have frequently argued that this arrangement places enormous pressure on the Federal Government while limiting the ability of states to respond swiftly to local challenges.

Mimiko noted that excessive concentration of authority in Abuja has weakened governance efficiency and slowed national development.

According to him, granting states greater constitutional autonomy would enable them to design policies suited to their unique economic strengths, security concerns, and developmental priorities.

He maintained that decentralization would encourage innovation, improve competition among states, and reduce dependence on federal allocations.

The Jethro Principle and Modern Governance

Drawing from the biblical account in Exodus 18, Mimiko explained that Moses faced overwhelming administrative burdens while leading the Israelites until his father-in-law, Jethro, advised him to appoint trustworthy leaders over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

The delegation of responsibilities, he argued, transformed governance by improving efficiency and allowing decisions to be made closer to the people.

Mimiko believes Nigeria can benefit from adopting similar governance principles by distributing authority across different levels of government rather than concentrating power at the centre.

According to him, decentralization promotes quicker decision-making, better accountability, and stronger institutional performance.

Nigeria’s Longstanding Debate on Restructuring

Calls for restructuring and constitutional reform have remained one of the most debated issues in Nigeria’s political discourse over the past two decades.

Successive administrations have faced growing demands from political leaders, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, academics, and professional bodies advocating a review of the country’s federal structure.

Supporters of restructuring argue that Nigeria’s current arrangement encourages overdependence on the Federal Government while discouraging healthy competition among states.

They contend that greater fiscal autonomy would allow states to maximize local resources, generate more internally generated revenue, create employment opportunities, and improve infrastructure development.

Critics, however, caution that rapid devolution without adequate institutional safeguards could widen developmental inequalities among states with varying economic capacities.

Despite differing opinions, many constitutional scholars agree that strengthening institutions at all levels remains essential to improving governance outcomes.

Security Challenges Strengthen Calls for Devolution

Nigeria’s security challenges have further intensified discussions surrounding state autonomy.

The country continues to grapple with terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnapping across several regions, communal conflicts in the Middle Belt, oil theft in the Niger Delta, and violent criminal activities in parts of the South-East and South-West.

Many analysts believe that centralized policing has struggled to respond effectively to local security threats due to logistical limitations and bureaucratic delays.

Mimiko suggested that empowering states with broader constitutional responsibilities including greater participation in security administration could improve intelligence gathering, enhance rapid response capabilities, and strengthen public trust.

Several state governments have already established regional security outfits to complement federal security agencies, highlighting increasing demand for localized security solutions.

Economic Implications of Decentralized Governance

Beyond politics and security, Mimiko argued that power devolution could stimulate economic growth by allowing states greater control over development planning and resource management.

Nigeria possesses vast agricultural, mineral, tourism, and industrial potential spread across its 36 states.

However, analysts say excessive centralization often delays project approvals and limits states’ ability to pursue independent development strategies.

Greater fiscal autonomy, proponents argue, would encourage investment, increase productivity, improve infrastructure, and diversify regional economies beyond federal allocations.

Mimiko emphasized that healthy competition among states could ultimately strengthen Nigeria’s national economy by encouraging innovation and improving governance standards.

Constitutional Reform Remains Central

The former governor stressed that achieving meaningful devolution would require constitutional amendments supported by broad national consensus.

Nigeria’s Constitution currently allocates many exclusive legislative responsibilities to the Federal Government.

Constitutional reform advocates have repeatedly proposed reviewing the Exclusive Legislative List to transfer more responsibilities to states while strengthening local government administration.

Previous national conferences, constitutional review committees, and legislative consultations have produced recommendations supporting varying degrees of decentralization.

However, implementation has remained politically contentious.

Mimiko urged political leaders to prioritize national interest over partisan considerations during future constitutional reform efforts.

Lessons from Other Federal Systems

Comparative governance experts often point to federal systems such as those in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, and India, where subnational governments exercise significant constitutional powers while remaining part of a unified national framework.

Although each federation operates under unique historical and constitutional circumstances, these countries generally allow regional governments greater authority over education, healthcare, policing, transportation, taxation, and economic planning.

Analysts note that effective decentralization depends not only on constitutional reforms but also on transparency, accountability, institutional capacity, and responsible fiscal management.

Reactions Across Policy Circles

Mimiko’s remarks have added momentum to ongoing conversations about Nigeria’s governance future.

Policy analysts, constitutional lawyers, economists, and civil society organisations continue to debate the practical pathways toward achieving balanced federalism capable of addressing regional disparities while preserving national unity.

Some observers believe constitutional restructuring represents one of the most significant reforms necessary to improve governance efficiency.

Others argue that stronger leadership, institutional discipline, anti-corruption measures, and better policy implementation remain equally important regardless of constitutional arrangements.

Broader Implications for Nigeria

As Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, Nigeria’s governance model carries significant implications for regional stability and continental development.

Improving governance efficiency through constitutional reforms could enhance investor confidence, strengthen democratic institutions, improve service delivery, and accelerate sustainable economic growth.

For many governance experts, the debate is no longer whether reforms are necessary but how they should be designed and implemented to balance national cohesion with regional autonomy.

Mimiko’s renewed advocacy contributes to this evolving national conversation, highlighting the importance of institutional reforms capable of responding to Nigeria’s changing political, demographic, and economic realities.

Whether through constitutional amendments, expanded fiscal federalism, or broader administrative decentralization, discussions on power devolution are expected to remain central to Nigeria’s democratic evolution in the years ahead.

As policymakers continue deliberating constitutional reforms, the broader objective remains clear: building a governance system that delivers security, accountability, inclusive development, and effective public service to all Nigerians.

Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko calls for power devolution and constitutional restructuring, arguing that decentralizing governance using the Jethro Principle will strengthen democracy, improve security, and accelerate economic development across Nigeria. Explore Obaland Magazine’s in-depth analysis of the growing debate over federalism and governance reforms.