“The United States of Nigeria” has been suggested as the new name to replace the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group.
Adesina made this request in a statement provided to newsmen on Saturday by Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, his Special Adviser on Industrialization.
As the recipient of the 2024 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership, Adesina made the appeal in a speech titled “Making a New Nigeria: Welfarist Policies and People-Centred Development.”
According to him, renaming the country the “United States of Nigeria” would completely change the dynamic between the federal government and the states, with the latter acting as their support system rather than as a tyrant.
“From our forgotten rural villages to our boisterous and dynamic urban areas,” the statement says. From the lingering hope in our adolescents’ hearts to the desires that flare up in our children’s eyes.
From the wishes of the elderly that our demise would be better than our history, and from the longings of our women, mothers, men, and dads for a better tomorrow. We have to start a movement of hope that includes everyone from the tenacious street vendors and small companies to the biggest corporate empires.
He continued, saying that “constitutional changes to devolve more economic and fiscal powers to the states or regions are necessary to achieve economically viable entities and the viability of the national entity.” The federated units are stronger when the states or regions are stronger.
According to Adesina, Nigeria needs to be reorganized in order to emerge from its economic quagmire, and this restructuring should be motivated by financial and economic sustainability rather than political expediency.
Political viability requires both financial and economic viability in order to be achieved.
“Among the numerous qualities that made Chief Obafemi Awolowo unique, his visionary bravery would be it. He ventured where others were afraid or chose not go. Decades later, his imprints are still visible in the sands of time. Similar to this, we need visionary individuals in Nigeria today who aren’t afraid to make risky choices, the speaker stated.
He pointed out that Nigerians paid one of the highest rates of implicit taxation in the world and that the people were disproportionately affected by large implicit taxes when governments or other institutions failed to provide essential services.
