By Luka Binniyat
(Abuja) – Nigeria is taking bold steps toward creating a new, people-driven constitution aimed at restructuring the country’s governance framework and confronting decades of insecurity, injustice, and economic stagnation, TruthNigeria has learned.
This at least is the aspiration of the National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy, which ended Thursday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, with TruthNigeria having a delegate at the Summit.
The meeting was organized by The Patriots, Nigeria’s foremost group of elder statesmen, intellectuals and civic leaders under the leadership of Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, the summit attracted representatives from across the country’s social, ethnic and religious spectrum.
Delegates included traditional rulers, civil society groups, youth organizations, religious leaders, security experts, the diaspora, and included the physically challenged.
Among the summit’s historic resolutions is a renewed push for state- and community policing, especially to combat the intensifying violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and core Christian states, where Islamist terror groups have continued their attacks with impunity.
The summit’s communique firmly states that Nigeria has never had a truly people-made constitution since independence from the United Kingdom in 1960.
The current 1999 Constitution, drafted under the last military government, was presented to the civilian government of President Olusegun Obasanjo without any input from the Nigerian people. According to the summit, the document lacks legitimacy and has failed to deliver justice, equity, or security.
“The 1999 Constitution did not derive its legitimacy from popular participation,” the communique read. “It has entrenched a centralized, unitary system masquerading as federalism, which has bred corruption, poor governance, and deepened insecurity.”
A Constitution for a Fractured Nation
The summit called for the immediate enactment of a law that would allow for the election of a “Constituent Assembly.” The assembly would nominate on a nonpartisan basis representatives of special interest groups.
Their task: to draft a new constitution that reflects the will of the people and addresses Nigeria’s diversity, governance failures, and economic dysfunction, the Communique says.
Once completed, the draft constitution would be subjected to a national referendum, a first in Nigeria’s history, before being signed into law by the President, the Communique states.
Among the key reforms proposed:
· Creation of state- and community police to address regional security challenges
· Return to true federalism, allowing states greater autonomy
· Geopolitical restructuring of Nigeria’s six zones
· Devolution of power from the federal to subnational units
· Reform of the justice system, with regional court hierarchies
· Reduction in cost of governance, including streamlining ministries and political appointments
· Enshrinement of rights for women, youth, and persons with disabilities
· Diaspora voting rights for Nigeria’s 15 million citizens abroad
A Lifeline for Nigeria’s Christian Belt
For many Christian communities in Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, and parts of Southern Borno, Kebbi, and Adamawa, a new constitution could be a turning point.
These areas have borne the brunt of terrorist attacks by armed Islamist groups for more than a decade.
With no functioning state police and a federal security system seen as biased or indifferent, citizens from these states feel abandoned, as delegates to the summit from the affected states told the summit.
“For Christians in the Middle Belt and core Northern Nigeria, the constitution is not just a legal document. It is the promise of equal citizenship, security, and protection from systemic violence,” said one summit delegate.
U.S. Constitution as Role Model
The summit’s call echoes the American constitutional model, which has remained in force for over two centuries, but which has undergone 27 amendments, allowing it to evolve with time. Unlike Nigeria, where constitutions have been imposed by military regimes, the U.S. Constitution emerged through popular consensus, ratified by the people, and structured around federalism and checks on central power.
“Like the U.S. example, Nigeria must build a living constitution — one that reflects the consent of the governed and allows for amendments that reflect the nation’s evolving identity,” said Professor Mike Ezekome, a Constitutional lawyer at the summit.
National Security and the Urgency of Action
According to data presented at the summit, more than 614,000 Nigerians were killed between May 2023 and April 2024 due to terrorism, banditry, and communal violence. Over 10 million have been displaced, and more than 350 million illegal arms circulate within Nigeria, making the country the largest black market for weapons in Africa, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
To address this crisis, the summit called for:
· Establishment of border- and coastal security agencies
· Enabling legislation for community-based policing
· Rotational appointments of heads of security agencies across Nigeria’s diverse zones
Hope, Not Just a Promise
The Summit’s communique concluded with a call for sustained public engagement and urged that Nigerians at home and abroad support the push for a new constitution.
“The dawn of a new, just, equitable and peaceful Nigeria is nigh. Together, we shall live to see that new Nigeria where no child is left behind and no citizen is oppressed,” according to Chief Anyaoku.
As the country prepares for what could be the most transformative legal reform since independence, the path forward depends on political will, grassroots mobilization, and an unrelenting demand for justice by the Nigerian people.
If fully implemented, the proposed changes promise a Nigeria where governance is accountable, the law is just, and every citizen — regardless of religion, ethnicity, or region — can finally claim equal protection under a Constitution they helped to create.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, covers about 923,769 km², making it slightly larger than Texas and California combined. As of 2025, Nigeria’s population is estimated at 224 million, with Christians making up roughly 49 percent—about 110 million people, chiefly in the South and Middle Belt. Nigeria boasts Africa’s largest economy, driven by oil, agriculture, and services, and ranks among the top three GDPs on the continent.
However, Nigeria’s progress is severely hampered by insecurity, corruption, poor infrastructure, and weak governance. Islamist insurgency, ethnic tensions, and political instability have impacted national unity and development. Despite its vast human and natural resources, Nigeria struggles to reach its full potential due to these challenges.
Luka Binniyat is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
