Ade A. AJAKAIYE

 

* Ade A. Ajakaiye is a Rtd. AIG, Poet, Author

  And Current Affairs Commentator, based in Ibadan.

 

Today, Nigeria can be said to be broke. But government is not. Between January and July 2025, the Federal Government earned ₦13.67 trillion. Yet debt servicing and personnel costs alone consumed more than the entire revenue during that period. We are literally borrowing to pay salaries and interest.

 

Last year, 2025, government ministries largely met salary and overhead obligations while leaving hundreds of billions in capital allocations unspent. The Federal Ministry of Works, for example, spent 99.59% of its personnel budget but only 57.42% of its capital budget. This is not only about corruption. It is about structure.

 

The truth Nigerians must face in 2026 is simple: the Presidential system of government is too expensive for us. And 36 states are too many to manage with our wobbling economy. If we are serious about saving the economy and making governance simple, we must do two things: return to Parliamentary government and revert to Regionalism. One cannot succeeds without the other. No way!

 

The reasons why the Presidential System is killing us are these:

• We adopted the American Presidential model in 1979. America runs a $27 trillion economy. Nigeria runs a $250 billion economy with 220 million mouths to feed, with millions out of job.
• The Presidential system is built for "winner-takes-all" politics. It breeds duplication. The President appoints Ministers who are not lawmakers. Then a separate National Assembly must approve everything. The result is gridlock, lobbying, and waste and a lot of time wasted.
• The cost keeps rising. Federal personnel cost was N2.29 trillion in 2019. In the 2022 budget, it jumped to N4.11 trillion — a 79.48% increase in 4 years. For 2025, total personnel and pension costs have been budgeted at N9.64 trillion, a 58.7% increase over 2024 due to the new minimum wage.
• Elections have also become a financial war. A presidential campaign gulps billions. After victory, the winner must "settle" thousands of loyalists. The same expensive drama repeats in the 36 states.
• We have turned government into a consumption industry, as Nigeria spends too much to run government, instead of using government to produce wealth. A country where debt and salaries gulp 105% of revenue cannot afford this kind of luxury and survive and flourish.

 

Without mixing words, parliamentary government is a cheaper and simpler option. Nigeria started right in 1960. We used the Parliamentary system and recorded 4-6% growth. Politics, not economics, killed it. It is time to return to base. Under a Parliamentary system, the Prime Minister and Cabinet are drawn from Parliament, and no separate executive. This will immediately cut political appointments by half. Elections become cheaper. Citizens vote for MPs. The majority party forms government. There is no separate presidential election to fund. INEC alone will save hundreds of billions every four years.

 

Accountability also becomes real. The Prime Minister must appear in Parliament weekly to answer questions. A failed government can be removed without waiting four years. India, Canada, and the UK built strong economies with this model. Ghana used it successfully in its early years. For Nigeria, it means less waste and more money for power, health, education, and security.

 

The missing piece is regionalism. A cheaper government structure will fail if we keep Abuja trying to do everything for 36 states and 774 LGAs. We must therefore return to regionalism. Between 1960 and 1966, Nigeria had 4 Regions. Each Region had a Premier and controlled its resources. The Federal Government handled only defense, foreign affairs, and currency. It worked. The West built the first TV station in Africa. The East built industries. The North led in groundnuts and cotton. Regions competed with each other and delivered.

 

Today, Abuja collects all revenue and fails to deliver to all. With 6 Regions, we can scrap 30 Governors, 30 Deputy Governors, and over 200 Commissioners. That is over 70% cut in the cost of politics. Let each Region grow on its strength. Agriculture in the North. Technology and finance in the South-West. Manufacturing in the South-East. Maritime and oil in the South-South. When money stays in the Region, development will be faster.

 

In my candid opinion, the way forward is a leaner, productive Nigeria. With parliamentary system and regionalism, we will build a Nigeria we can afford and celebrate. The model is clear: A Federal Parliament elects a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister runs the country. Each Region has its own Parliament and Premier. That is, the 3 tiers of government, not the overloaded governments, bloated with political appointees who may have no useful purpose.

 

The savings will be redirected to infrastructure. Accountability will be closer to the people, and agitation will reduce because regions can develop at their own pace. This is not about "going back." It is about going forward to survive. The oil boom that funded the Presidential system and 36 states will one day be over. And that could be sooner than later.

 

In conclusion, I wish to add that Nigerians are hardworking. But no people can outwork a wasteful system.

 

I therefore call on the President and the National Assembly to immediately begin constitutional amendments to:

1. Adopt parliamentary system at federal and regional levels.
2. Restructure Nigeria into 6 Regions with fiscal autonomy.
3. Conduct a national referendum to let the people decide.

 

The presidential system has had 25 years with a lot of hiccups, and the bill is too high. So, for the sake of our economy and our children, let us choose a simpler, cheaper, and more productive Nigeria.

Nigeria! Forward ever!