The Concerned Citizens Assembly has declared that restructuring Nigeria is no longer merely a political option or slogan, but an urgent national survival strategy essential to restoring stability, economic productivity, and public confidence across the federation. ​
Speaking at the opening session of the Assembly on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Abuja, the Convener of the Concerned Citizens Assembly, Deacon Owolabi Oladejo, warned that the country’s central governance structure has become fundamentally incapable of responding to the realities of a complex and diverse nation. ​
“Nigeria needs restructuring, not as a political slogan, but as a national survival strategy. The deeper question is whether the structure itself is capable of producing the Nigeria we desire,” Oladejo declared. ​
Oladejo emphasized that changing political leaders alone will not resolve Nigeria’s persistent economic and security challenges unless the fundamental architecture of governance is re-examined. He criticized the excessive concentration of administrative, political, and economic powers in the central government, noting that it has fostered a culture of state dependency on federal allocations rather than driving local productivity. ​
The delegates and civil society stakeholders gathered at the event outlined critical areas for structural reform aimed at building a voluntary “Federated Regions of Nigeria”: Fiscal Federalism & Resource Management; Granting federating regions greater autonomy to harness local resources, generate employment, and attract investment.
Decentralized Security Architecture; Reforming the national security framework to enable local and regional security structures to tackle widespread insecurity effectively. Devolution of Powers; Shift of responsibilities from the exclusive federal list to regional and state governments to enhance efficiency and accountability and drafting regional constitutions through establishing clear, consent-based governance compacts, including proposed Articles of Federation. ​
Supporting the call, Ali Ocheni, General Secretary of the Rebirth Group (TRG) and Citizens for Restructured Nigeria (CRN), reported findings from recent nationwide consultations. Ocheni noted that engagements across major regional centers including Ibadan, Kaduna, Enugu, Gombe, and Port Harcourt revealed an overwhelming consensus among ordinary Nigerians rejecting over-centralized governance in favor of regional autonomy and stronger fiscal federalism.
​The assembly reiterated that the initiative is neither a government project nor an elite political scheme, but a citizen-led movement designed to give Nigerians a direct say in how they are governed. ​Deliberations at the assembly are expected to continue throughout the week, focusing on drafting actionable frameworks for constitutional reform.
