MEANING OF FEDERATION

JSS3 CIVIC NOTE FOR WEEK 10

NIGERIA AS A FEDERATION

MEANING OF FEDERATION

This is a type of political system in which there is constitutional division of power between the central government and state government. Nigeria is a good example of a federation. It is made up of one central government with 36 state governments.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FEDERATION

1.There is sharing of power between the federal and state government.

2. States also have their own constitutionally defined constitution.

3. There is also supremacy of the constitution.

4. There are three organs of government in a federation, namely legislative, executive and the judicial organs.

5. There is also bicameral legislature at the central level and unicameral legislature in the states.

6. The highest court is the supreme court.

7. There is also separation of power and the existence of the rule of law.

 CONCURRENT, EXCLUSIVE AND RESIDUAL POWERS IN A FEDERATION

CONCURRENT LIST: This contains items which both the central and state government can legislate upon. However, if there is disagreement between state and federal laws in any of those items, the federal law will prevail over the state law. The concurrent list include: agriculture, health, education, schools, social insurance and banks.

EXCLUSIVE LIST: This list contains items upon which only the central government can legislate. Some of these items include: Police, Foreign affairs (external affairs), defence and internal security etc.

RESIDUAL LIST: Items in this list are meant for the state government to legislate upon. One of such items under residual list is the issue of chieftaincy matters.