It is germane to discuss federalism because it is the basis upon which politics was constructed.
Federal state is a state that practises federalism or federal system of government, interchangeable referred to as a federation. Nigeria federalism arises from the desire of the people to form a unity without losing their identity.
Federalism in Nigeria has proved to be an enduring structure of governance among developed and developing Nation and has remain a contentious issues in Nigeria due mainly to the total negation of the principles of federslism which include

The principle of independence
The principle of cordinance
The principle of appropriation
Usage of the constitution that guarantee that resources are to be used for the good of the subject.
Thus, Nigeria federal system is confronted with the problem of "how to secure an efficient central government and preserve national unity, while allowing free scope of diversities and free play to the members of the federation. It is to keep the centrifugal and centripetal forces in equilibrum so that neither the planet states shall fall into space, nor the sun of the government draw them into its consuming fires.
Besides the three tier, the logic of centralization have been very prominent over Nigeria history and it has led to a situation whereby the power of the state and the local government have been eroded by the federal government.
And as a result of this in Nigeria, rather than federalism addressing all forms of denomination, it has increased the fear of domination and political rivalry among various ethnic groups.
This centralizing tendency account for a zero sum nature for the quality of divide and rule prevailing in the Nigeria government and politics.
The structure of government determines the effectiveness of governance in Nigeria.
The absence of consensus and what should be an ideal structure and logic of government creates politics of domination and domination brings along with the politics of exclusive and accumulation.
This would make the state the center of absolute power and this power is used to allocate resources as it pleases those in power
This will lead Nigeria this a growing tendency of fears and normless competition for the control of the state thereby rendering Nigeria politics to become a do or due affairs and government becoming irrelevant in promoting the development of the people.

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