Prof. Gidado advocates restructuring for Nigeria’s development
By Roseline Okafor, Nasarawa
Prof. Maxwell Michael Gidado, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Nasarawa State University Keffi, advocates for restructuring Nigeria via constitutional amendment. He believes this approach is essential to promote development across all sectors in the country.
According to him, amending the constitution to restructure Nigeria would address underlying governance and systemic issues, thereby enabling more effective and inclusive growth nationwide.
He made this assertion while presenting the 53rd inaugural lecture series of the Nasarawa State University Keffi on the topic “Nigeria’s Unitary-Federalism and the Restructuring Debate: Perspectives from the Jurisprudence of Constitutionalism,” held at the university’s assembly hall on Wednesday.
According to Prof. Maxwell Gidado, drawing from his 40 years of teaching, researching, and mentoring students, he has found constitutional law to be the most potent subject for addressing practical societal ills.
He noted that Nigeria theoretically practices a federal system of government but practically operates a unitary system where powers are centralized at the federal level.
“In a decentralized government, each state will have its own focus, and the country will not be a single entity but rather multiple entities within a country,” he explained.
The constitutional expert further stated that in a decentralized system, each state would be independent of the federal government, eliminating complaints of marginalization and allowing for more localized control.
However, Prof. Gidado also pointed out potential drawbacks, such as state governments manipulating security forces to their advantage and the potential for injustice within states.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, highlighted the significance of inaugural lectures as an academic tradition that enables professors to share their accumulated knowledge.
She commended Prof. Maxwell Gidado for his dedication to nurturing students in the legal profession and described him as a treasure to the university due to his experience and contributions.
Other dignitaries, including former Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, and Dr. Suleiman Nchi from the Faculty of Law at NSUK, praised Prof. Gidado’s contributions to the university’s development and the political sphere, urging him to continue his impactful work.
The event was attended by notable figures, including Senator Dino Melaye, and featured the presentation of a certificate and award to Prof. Gidado by Vice Chancellor Prof. Sa’adatu Hassan Liman.
